• !:!l!mumuiHii:i?ni;H ii J Vii'ii JL 



_ )RY OF THE 
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

i; MIDDLEBURY, VT. 




cbiss 5} (7g.g5 



V 



Mj 



presentk:!) by 



rr 







Congregational Church, Middlebury. Vermont. 
Completed 1809. 



YfwLcULJ^^H/^i^^ ^ y t, C«-H^.,^>oJa,.a^^ oLu0^xi^., 



History of the 

Congregational Church of 

Middlebury, Ft. 




1790-1913 



THE PILGRIM PRESS 
BOSTON 



DEDICATION 

This history is dedicated to the memory of 
the members of this church who sowed, 
in faith and love, the seed of the Kingdom 
of God and fostered its growth by fervent 
effectual prayer. 



CONTENTS 

Original Confession of Faith, Covenant 
AND Articles of Discipline 7 

Some Interesting Facts Relating to Town 
AND Church 15 

Officers of the Church Since Its Organi- 
zation. 18 

Former Customs of the Church, by Susan 
E. Archibald 21 

The Centennial of the Dedication of the 
Church Building, by Dr. Ezra Brainerd. 52 

The Deacons of the Church, by Deacon 
Thomas E. Boyce 70 

The Church's Contribution to the World, 
by Deacon James E. Crane 81 

Work Done by the Women of the Church, 
by Mrs. Clarence A. Phillips. ... 89 

Work Done by and for the Young People, 
by Susan E. Archibald 104 



The compiling of this volume has been in the 
hands of Miss Susan E. Archibald, Church 
Historian. 



[5] 



The Congregational Church 
of Middlebury, Vermont 



ORIGINAL CONFESSION OF FAITH. 

You believe the articles of Christian Faith 
as they are contained in the scriptures of the 
old and new Testaments ; particularly you be- 
lieve that there is only one living and true 
God, existing in three persons, the Father, 
the Son and the Holy Ghost, infinite in all his 
attributes and perfections, the great Creator, 
continual Preserver, sole Proprietor and su- 
preme Governor of the universe. 

You believe that God created man upright 
and just, after knowledge, righteousness and 
true holiness; that man being in honor did 
not abide, but voluntarily disobeyed the law of 
his Creator and fell from that holy and happy 
state into a state of sin and death. 

You believe that God cannot consistently 
with his holy character forgive sin without 
atonement ; that man with all other created be- 
ings is utterly unable to make an atonement 
for the least sin, and that, so far as respects 
the claims of the creature, God would have 
been just and his throne forever guiltless had 
[7] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

he never opened a door of mercy. Yet you 
believe that God, actuated by his own self- 
moving goodness, mercy and grace, hath 
opened a glorious way of life and salvation 
for our guilty and ruined world through the 
mediation of his Son, Jesus Christ, who hath 
offered himself a sacrifice of atonement for 
sin and made complete satisfaction to divine 
justice. 

You believe that life and salvation are 
freely offered to all who will repent and be- 
lieve; that all are free to accept and under no 
constraint or force to continue impenitent; 
that they are under only a moral inability 
which consists in their unwillingness and op- 
position. 

You also believe that the righteousness of 
Christ is that alone which justifies in the sight 
of God, and that all the doings of the creature, 
however necessary as evidences of faith, are 
entirely excluded as grounds of justification. 

You believe that all mankind are naturally 
sinners, dead in trespasses and sins; that 
they are destitute of holiness and averse to a 
reconciliation with God so that were God to 
leave them to follow their own choice and in- 
clinations they never would repent and believe, 
and that therefore the power and grace of 
God are the only cause of regeneration and 
salvation. 

You believe that those who are justified by 
the righteousness of Christ which is perfect 
[8] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

and complete, will never fall from grace, come 
into condemnation and finally fail of salvation. 

You believe that though we are justified by 
the righteousness of Christ and saved by his 
grace, yet the law, as a rule of life, is of full 
force; that believers are under obligations, 
even perfectly to obey it ; and that the gospel 
of free grace does not in the least encourage or 
countenance a continuance in sin. 

You believe, in the resurrection of the dead 
and the general judgment; thdit all true Chris- 
tians will, by divine grace, be wholly recovered 
from sin to holiness and be completely and 
eternally happy, in the kingdom of God ; but, 
on the contrary, that the wicked, impenitent 
and ungodly will go away into everlasting pun- 
ishment. 

N. B. The parts of the "Confession'' that 
are in italics indicate alterations made Decem- 
ber 19th, 1809. 

THE COVENANT. 

You do now in the awful presence of 
Almighty God, and before angels and men, 
with seriousness, sincerity and solemnity of 
soul, avouch the Lord Jehovah to be your 
God, sovereign Lord and supreme God, 
through Jesus Christ, and you do solemnly de- 
vote and dedicate yourself to his fear and 
service, engaging that you will, (depending 
always on divine grace for assistance) pay an 
evangelical obedience to the commands of 
[Q] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

God, seek his glory, conscientiously perform 
the duties of the Christian life and walk in 
Christian fellowship, obser\'ing the institutions 
and ordinances of Christ, to be enjoyed and 
observed in his church and in this particular 
church, submitting yourself to the watch and 
discipline of it so long as God, in his provi- 
dence, shall continue you here. 
This you covenant and promise. 

ARTICLES OF DISCIPLINE. 

1. We believe the word of God as con- 
tained in the scriptures of the old and new 
Testaments to be the only rule of Christian 
faith and practice. 

2. We believe that our Lord and Saviour, 
Jesus Christ, is the only head of the Christian 
church. 

3. \\''e believe that every particular 
church, by the Gospel, has the right independ- 
ently to exercise discipline, to hear and deter- 
mine all matters of complaint, difficulties and 
disputes respecting its own members, and that 
no council or councils have a right to deter- 
mine for them, or do anything binding upon 
them, without their consent. 

4. We believe, that, as in a multitude of 
counsellors there is safety, it is desirable, 
proper and allowed of by the Gospel to call 
in other churches and be advised of and by 
them as circumstances may be. And we be- 
lieve a particular church ought to give an ac- 

[10] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

count of its proceedings to other churches 
when proper occasion calls for it. 

5. We believe that all churches ought to be 
of one heart, and one way, and that, though 
they have not powxr to determine for and gov- 
ern one another, yet they ought to admonish 
one another when out of the way, and with- 
draw fellowship and communion from those 
who do not believe and practice according to 
the w^ord of God. 

6. We believe that a Christian church con- 
sists of visible Christians, viz. of such as, to 
appearances, are true believers, for if they 
are not, to appearance, true believers, they 
cannot be the objects of charity or brotherly 
love. 

7. We believe that infants or children of 
such as are m.embers of the visible church, are 
to be baptized and, that after baptism, they 
are members of the same church with their 
parents or parent. And we believe that none 
have a right to ask baptism for their children 
except such as are members in full commun- 
ion ; or, in other w^ords, we believe that there 
is but one covenant and that those who are 
not in the covenant cannot reasonably ask for 
the privileges of it. 

8. We believe that it would be wrong for 
any church to bind themselves to articles of 
human composition so that they cannot be al- 
tered; but that every church has the right to 
add to their articles or to take from them, 

[II] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

when they find sufficient authority from the 
word of God. 

In the manual of 1853 there is first a series 
of questions for self-examination recom- 
mended to the frequent and prayerful medi- 
tation of each member of the church. The 
''Confession of Faith'' is the same as the orig- 
inal one and also the Covenant except that the 
word ''awful" is omitted from the first phrase 
making it, "in the presence of Almighty God," 
and in the manuals of 1875 and 1904 
"Almighty" is omitted, leaving it simply "in 
the presence of God." 

The "Articles of Faith" of 1875 keep all the 
doctrines of the original confession but they 
are expressed more briefly. The Covenant of 
1875 is considerably longer than the original 
one, made so by adding to the personal cove- 
nant obligations the "Corresponding promises 
and engagements declared by God in his word 
as entered into by Him." 

In the manual of 1853, there are "Standing 
Rules" and "Rules of Discipline." The former 
give explicit directions about receiving and 
dismissing members, and about members pay- 
ing their due proportion to the support of the 
Gospel. 

The Rules of Discipline in 1853 give details, 
based on Matthew 18, for guidance in matters 
of discipline. 

The Standing Rules of this manual were 
adopted in 1845, and almost the same rules 
[12] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

appear in the manual of 1875 except that Rule 
XIII is omitted, which omission reads thus : — 

"In accordance with the uniform past senti- 
ment of this church, card-playing or attend- 
ance upon balls or dancing parties, shall be 
treated as disciplinable offenses, since the re- 
ligion of Christ is thereby dishonored, piety 
expelled from the heart, one's good influence 
as a Christian destroyed, and other evil prac- 
tices induced. Nor shall members encourage 
such amusements either in their children or 
others." 

Though this article was omitted in the re- 
vised manual adopted in 1871 and published 
in 1875, yet the committee on revision, W. H. 
Parker, H. F. Leavitt, H. D. Kitchel, E. J. 
Matthews, George L. Porter and the pastor, 
Rev. E. P. Hooker, made the following recom- 
mendation which was adopted as the sentiment 
of the church: — 

''Whereas the question of amusements as a 
practical question of character and duty seri- 
ously concerns the honor of Christ in the piety 
of his people; and whereas, the plea of Chris- 
tian liberty for indulgence in these doubtful 
practices, and especially in the use of intoxi- 
cating drinks, occasions much grievance and 
reproach, therefore, this church declares its 
conviction that the law of Christian love re- 
quires among its members a more thorough 
and prayerful consideration of the tendency 
of certain popular forms of amusements such 
[13] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

as card-playing and billiards, the theater and 
the dance; and particularly of the use of in- 
toxicating drinks. And this church, in view 
of the practical results of indulgence in these 
things, is constrained to bear its testimony 
against them, as vicious and dangerous in their 
influence, and to be discountenanced decidedly 
by the followers of Christ." 

Practically the Confession of Faith adopted 
in 1790, or early in 1791, served this church 
for a hundred years. 

In the manual of 1904, the Confession of 
Faith is very brief as is also the Covenant, 
and there are no Rules of Discipline. 



[14] 



SOME INTERESTING FACTS RELAT- 
ING TO TOWN AND CHURCH. 

"The charter of the Town of Middlebury 
was secured November 2, 1761, and the settle- 
ment of famihes resumed after the Revolu- 
tion, in 1783. In 1784, Mr. Aaron Bliss 
preached five or six Sabbaths. The town wa^ 
organized in 1786. In 1787, a missionary, 
Mr. Williston, labored among the people for 
a time. There was action with reference to a 
house of worship and the regular administra- 
tion of religious ordinances in 1788, the year 
that town organization was completed. Mr. 
Parmelee preached a part of the year 1789. 

Mr. John Barnet was called to become pas- 
tor June 15, 1790, when the population of the 
town was probably less than 350. As a step 
preparatory to the ordination of the pastor 
elect, six months previous to the admission 
of the State to the Union, September 5, 1790, 
the ''Church of Christ" of Middlebury was 
organized with the following members : — 
Daniel Foot, Abigail Foot, Elijah Buttolph, 
Deborah Buttolph, Moses Hale, Bethuel 
Goodrich, Silence Goodrich, Abraham Kirby, 
Ebenezer Sumner, Simon Farr, Sarah Farr, 
Prudence Preston. 

[15] . 



THE COXGREGATIOXAL CHURCH 

Mr. John Barnet was ordained Xovember ii 
of the same year in Daniel Foot's barn. There 
was no minister of any denomination at the 
time in western \'ermont between Middlebury 
and the Canada Hne. After Mr. Barnet's dis- 
mission March 31, 1795, he continued to re- 
side in town and to preach as a supply for 
nearly two years. 

President Atwater preached two or three 
years for the church. 

The ecclesiastical society connected with 
this church was legally organized immediately 
after the repeal by the legislature, in 1S07, 
of all laws for the support of the Gospel, ex- 
cept those giving corporate powers to volun- 
tary associations. Such an organization had 
existed in Middlebury since 1799. 

The above is taken from ''Progress of the 
Church'" prefixed to the manual of 1S75 ; the 
following facts as to communion sets are 
from the records of the church: 

In 1801, the church bought 

4 beakers (a $0.50 ^.00 

2 plates (^ $1.00 2.00 

2 quart tankards (a $1.25 2.50 

1 flagon 4.50 

Sii.oo 
In 1806, the church bought in Albany, 
4 plated, gilt goblets (g S'.so $30.00 

In 181 1, in New York, 

3 Japanned servers @ $1.33 4-00 

2 flagons (a Sg.oo 18.00 

4 cups @ $5.00 20.00 

[16] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

In 1822, the flagon, bought in 1801, was 

exchanged on payment of 2.50 

for a baptismal font. 



$74.50 
In 1830, the church bought 2 flagons for $12.00 

In 1859, the church gave a communion set, 
consisting of a pitcher, two goblets and two 
bread plates, all pewter, to the Congregational 
church in Duxbury, Vermont. The clerk of 
the Duxbury church told the historian in 19 13 
that the Duxbury church had used this set 
"until a few months ago." 

It is probable that the communion service 
used now, with the exception of the individual 
cups, was bought before the above set was 
given away in 1859. 

The individual communion cups were 
bought in 1904. 

The first bell was placed in the tower of 
the church in 1821. This bell was cracked and 
was replaced by the present one in 1841. 



[17] 



OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH. 

PASTORS. 

Rev. John Barnet. 1790-1795 

Rev. Thomas A. Merrill, D.D. 1805-1842 

Rev. Samuel G. Coe. 1844-1850 

Rev. R. S. Kendall. 1853-1856. 

Rev. Jas. T. Hyde. 1857-1867 

Rev. Edward P. Hooker, D.D. 1870-Dec. 1880. 

Rev. S. L. B. Speare. 1881-1887, 

Rev. Adelbert F. Keith. 1888-1890, 
Rev. George; N. Webber, D.D. (Acting 

Pastor). 1891-1892, 

Rev. Albert W. Dickens. 1893-1900, 

Rev. Thomas Simms. 1901-Sept. 1906, 

Rev. Charles H. Dickinson, D.D. Feb. 1907-Feb. 191 1 

Rev. Archibald A. Lancaster. Nov. 191 1 



DEACONS. 
Elected : 

Nov. 1801. Ebenezer Sumner. Died 1844. 

Nov. 1801. Seth Storrs. Died 1837. 

Oct. 1809. Joseph Kirby. Died 1831. 

May 1829. Samuel Swift. Died 1875. 

May 1829. Elisha Brewster. Died 1838. 

May 1829. Martin N. Foot. Died 1833. 

May 1829. David Boyce. Resigned 1853. 

Dec. 1838. Peter Starr. Resigned 1853. 

Dec. 1838. Ira Allen. Died 1874. 

Dec. 1838. Ephraim Kirby. Resigned. 1840. 

Mar. 1839. Geo. H. Fish. 

Dismissed to Saratoga 1841. 

Feb. 1840. William Bass. Died 185 1. 

Oct. 1845. Eli Matthews. Died 1864. 

Oct. 1845. Cyrus Porter. Died 1857. 

Dec. 1853. Jason Davenport. " Resigned 1861. 

Dec. 1853. Harvey Wilcox. Died i860. 

Dec. 1853. Wm. Hammond. Died 1858. 

June 1857. William H. Parker. Died 1889. 

June 1858. David E. Boyce. Died 1888. 

Feb. 1861. Merlin Clarke. Died 1872. 

[18] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

Sept. 1865. Chas. W. Linsley. 

Dismissed to Alstead, N. H. 1871. 



Jan. 1870. 


Geo. L. Porter. 


Resigned 1887. 


Nov. 1872. 


Henry J. Wilcox. 


Died 1902. 


Nov. 1872. 


L. Crosby Barrows. 


Died 1895. 


1879. 


S. E. Cook. 


Died 1880. 


1880. 


Charles D. Mead. 


1890. 


1884. 


Clarence A. Phillips. 




1889. 


Thomas E. Boyce. 




1890. 


Merrick A. Munroe. 


Died 1911. 


1890. 


Chas. W. Matthews. 


1892. 


1892. 


W. W. Eaton. 


Died 1905. 


1897. 


Charles B. Wright. 




1903. 


James E. Crane. 




1905. 


Frank A. Bond. 


Died 1909. 


1910. 


Julius 0. Seeley. 




1910. 


Archie S. Harriman. 






Declined 


re-election 1913. 


1911. 


Charles E. Harris. 




1913. 


Ernest C. Bryant. 
CLERKS. 




Bethuel Goodrich. 


1799. 


Seth Storrs 




1799 . 


Rev. Thomas A. Merrill. 


1842. 


Solom.on Stoddard. 


1842-1844. 


Rev. S. G. 


Coe. 1844-N0V. I, 1850. 


L. Crosby 


Barrows, (pro tem). 


1850-1852. 


Rev. P. J. 


H. Myers. 


Sept. 1852-1853. 


Rev. R. S. 


Kendall. Mar. 


1853-July, 1856. 


Samuel Swift. 


1856-1857. 


Rev. James 


T. Hyde. 


i8;7-i867. 


W. H. Parker. 


1867-1870. 


Rev. E. P. 


Hooker. 


1870-Dec. 1880. 


L. A. Aus1 


:in. 


1880-July 1885. 


L. E. Knapp. 


July-Sept. 1885. 


E. J. Matthews. 


1885 . 




TREASURERS. 




Seth Storrs 




1831. 


Samuel Swift. 


1831-1839. 


Geo. H. Fish. 


1839-1841. 


Peter Starr. 


1841-1847. 


Eli Matthews. 


I 847- I 864. 


WiUiam H 


. Parker. 


1864-1871. 


Geo. L. Porter. 


1871-1886. 


Henry J. Wilcox. 


1886-1902. 


Thomas E. 


Boyce. 


1902 . 



[19] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

Zechariah Beckwith was elected in 1840, 
by the church to take charge of benevolent 
contributions. 

B. S. Beckwith was elected in 1871 to take 
charge of benevolent contributions, and in 
1895 he requested N. P. Barbour, who was 
treasurer of the society to take charge of 
benevolent contributions also, and so in the 
church treasurer's book N. P. Barbour's name 
appears, but he told the historian that he was 
never elected to that office. 

SUPERINTENDENTS. 
1815. 



Rev. Thomas A. Merrill. 




Samuel Mattocks. 




Milo Cook. 




1837. 




Samuel Swift. 




Ehsha Brewster. 




Matthew Gordon. 




Nancy Swift. 




George W. Rood. 




1850. 




Tutor J. W. Bent. 




Dr. Brockway. 


1852. 


Rev. Joseph Steele. 


1868. 


Brainerd kellogg. 




Rev. John B. Steele. 




L. C. Barrows. 




F. A. Bond. 


1871-Oct. 1882. 




Oct. 1884-Oct. 1885. 


J. E. Crane. 


Oct. 1882-Oct. 1883. 


W. W. Eaton. 


Oct. 1883-Oct. 1884. 


Geo. L. Porter. 


Oct. 1885 . 


T. E. Boyce. 


Oct. 1887 . 


Rev. A. W. Dickens. 


April 1893 . 


E. C. Bryant. 


1896-1897. 


Alfred Howes. 


1900-1904. 


John E. Weeks. 


1904 . 



[20] 



FORMER CUSTOMS OF THE CHURCH. 

By Susax E. Archibald. 

CHURCH AND PRAYER MEETINGS. 

In accordance with the prevaiHng custom, 
this church was organized under the name, 
"Church of Christ.'' The records do not state 
that this was ever formally changed, but the 
name ''Congregational Church" appears in 
1810, and after that date the church is usually 
so designated though the older form occurs 
sometimes. 

The church having been organized Septem- 
ber 5, 1790, on the 5th of January, 1791, it 
was voted to have a conference meeting once 
a fortnight to begin at candle light, on Friday 
evening. This meeting was also for business 
and the church considered it the duty of all 
members to attend this service unless provi- 
dentially prevented. 

In 1813, the record reads, 'Tn view of the 
prevailing wickedness in town the church 
voted to spend next Tuesday as a day of fast- 
ing and prayer.'' In 1816, the prevailing 
drought required a similar observance, and at 
various times the church voted such a service 
for "spiritual quickening," and as late as 1874, 
the church observed such a day. 

In 181 5, they voted to have a prayer meet- 
[21] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHUPXH 

ing the first Monday of each month, and three 
years later it was recommended to the mem- 
bers of the church to meet in their respective 
neighborhoods once a month to unite in a 
concert of prayer. 

Some special effort seems to have been nec- 
essary to get the members out to some of the 
services, for in 1823, it was voted that ''all 
the deacons (personally or by proxy) confer 
with all the members of the church and par- 
ticularly request them to attend the next 
monthly church meeting," and it is reported 
that the meeting the next month was interest- 
ing and full. At this time it was voted to re- 
quest all members of the church to spend a 
season in private prayer between the hours of 
eight and nine each Saturday night. 

In 1827, the church considering the impor- 
tance of promoting vital religion in this town 
and vicinity, voted to propose a conference of 
churches, and the result was a weekly con- 
ference of the churches of Middlebury, Corn- 
wall, Weybridge, Shoreham, Bridport, Ad- 
dison, and later New Haven was admitted, 
and the meetings were held once in two 
weeks. 

Their interest in spiritual things, as w^ell as 
their hospitality, is illustrated by the follow- 
ing unanimous vote passed in 1831 : "That the 
Addison Consociation after holding its regular 
meeting in this town, should be requested to 
remain one day longer than necessary, viz., 
[22] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

till Friday evening, for the purpose of 
promoting the religious interests of this 
church and people, thus giving us sub- 
stantially the advantages of a three days* 
meeting." 

Three men were appointed to make the ar- 
rangements for the accommodation of the 
Consociation. It is possible that there is con- 
nection between the desire to prolong the 
meeting of the Consociation and the follow- 
ing statement: — that *'in this same year 
(1831) was held the first protracted meeting 
in Middlebury, which was the fourth in Ad- 
dison county, and probably the fourth in the 
State." In 1835, there was another revival, 
and that year 235 were added to the church, 
40 of them joining by letter. In 1836 the 
membership was 781, the largest in the his- 
tory of the church. 

In 1833, the church adopted the following 
resolutions : 

1. That hereafter there be but one stated 
church meeting a month, including the pre- 
paratory lecture. 

2. That this stated monthly meeting shall 
be the Friday preceding the first Sabbath in 
each month, and shall be devoted exclusively 
to devotional exercises, religious instruction 
and conference. 

3. That any other business, such as relates 
to church order, discipline, etc., shall be trans- 
acted after the close of the religious services 

[23] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

or at some special meeting called for the pur- 
pose of such business. 

4. That; in order to secure the desired ob- 
ject of the preceding resolutions, viz., a full 
and punctual attendance of all the members 
of the church at the stated monthly meetings, 
a committee of twenty members in different 
parts of the town be appointed to visit, in con- 
nection with the pastor and deacons, every 
member of the church before the next monthly 
meeting and, at the time of such visitation in 
any particular part of the town, to unite with 
the brethren and sisters in that district or 
vicinity for prayer and conference. Finally 
that the pastor be requested to designate from 
the pulpit on each intervening Sabbath the 
districts to be visited the following week and 
the brethren who may be expected to unite 
with him in the visitation. 

Twenty me7i were accordingly appointed, 
and the record of February of that year says 
that there was ''a very full and unspeakably 
interesting church meeting.'' 

In this same year (1833), it was voted to 
have a Standing Committee of sixteen mem- 
bers whose duty, in connection with the pastor 
and deacons, it should be to promote the in- 
terests of religion in this town. Three years 
later (1836) their duties are thus defined: — 

I. It is to be considered as coming within 
the province of this committee, as they may be 
furnished, to distribute Bibles, Testaments and 
[24] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

tracts; and to avail themselves of the latter 
to convey useful instruction to the prospered 
and afflicted on particular duties or virtues or 
vices, for the benefit of the strong in the faith, 
the feeble-minded, or the habitually negligent. 

2. To take reasonable measures to furnish 
(from some charitable society or by the benev- 
olence of neighbors) with suitable clothing 
those children who need it and are disposed 
to attend Sabbath school or public meetings. 
Finally it is the duty of each member of the 
committee, with desire to glorify God and 
promote the spiritual welfare of the members 
of the church, to exercise in Christian affec- 
tion a general watchfulness over the members 
of his district. 

In 1840, it was voted to dispense with the 
standing committee for the present, and in 
1853, the committee on discipline had the same 
duties. 

In 1835, the church voted ''to take under 
their watch and care children under fourteen 
years of age who are of serious habits and 
profess to act on the principles of the Gos- 
pel." 

''\Miereupon the pastor introduced from 
the vestry certain children whom he had re- 
peatedly met there and who had frequently re- 
quested to be placed under watch and care of 
the church. Twenty-seven boys and twenty- 
seven girls were accordingly received. '* 

In 1836, it was further "Voted, that the pas- 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

tor and his assistant, Mr. Samuel Howe, be 
requested to take measures as soon as con- 
venient to organize the young members of the 
church and also the children under the watch 
of the church into small meetings or societies, 
for prayer and instruction or mutual improve- 
ment and to report at a future meeting." 

The report was given in ]\Iarch, and reads 
thus : 'Tn this report prayer is assumed to be 
essential to a life of piety. The power of re- 
ligion cannot survive when the breath of 
prayer ceases. It is assumed that social 
prayer is a scriptural means of growth in 
grace. Otherwise Christ and his disciples 
have misled us by their holy example, and 
the promise of our Lord is recorded in vain, 
*Where two or three are gathered together in 
my name there am I in the midst of them.' 
This promise is sufficient authority for estab- 
lishing the various circles of prayer. We be- 
gin therefore with the lambs of the flock. 

1. The children are arranged by sexes in 
small circles for prayer and religious instruc- 
tion, once a w^eek, this meeting being always 
attended by one or more of the sisters. 

2. Most of the younger male members of 
the church together with a few other serious 
individuals are associated into separate so- 
cieties. They meet w^eekly and spend an hour 
in prayer and other religious exercises. The 
pastor occasionally attends. 

3. The young ladies in addition to their 

[26] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

benevolent associations have meetings for 
prayer once a fortnight. 

Such is the organization for social and re- 
ligious improvement. In order for its comple- 
tion and permanence under the blessing of 
God, much prayerful and persevering effort 
will be necessary. For this result every in- 
dividual member of the church should feel 
responsible. The time has comiC for division 
of labor in the church. And until parents 
and others feel as much concern that their 
children and friends be as regular at the place 
of prayer as that they be at their places of 
learning or laboring or visiting, nothing will 
be gained either in the exercise or habit of de- 
votion. There is no such thing as serving God 
by halves and by spells." 

In 1862, it was voted to have the monthly 
church meeting on Thursday at 2 P. M. Hav- 
ing the preparatory lecture Thursday evening 
was begun in 1897. 

There is nothing found in the records re- 
garding the part of the vestry where the men 
and women should sit, but in 1877, the follow^- 
ing vote was passed : 'Tf there ever has been a 
rule requiring males to sit on one side of the 
vestry and females on the other, it is hereby 
rescinded.'' 

In 1869 began the discussion of omitting 

Sunday afternoon services ''in order," it was 

said, "to give more time for the Sabbath 

school," and in 3.1ay, 1870, it was voted that 

[27] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

the afternoon service be omitted for three 
months beginning in June. In September, 
after the installation of Mr. Hooker, it was 
voted to resume the afternoon service, begin- 
ning at 1 130. In June, 1871, it v^as again 
voted to omit the afternoon service for three 
months. Later it was voted that there be but 
one service during the pastor's vacation. In 
January, 1872, there was a motion to dispense 
with the afternoon service, but it was lost by 
one vote. However, in May of that same year, 
it was voted to omit the afternoon service until 
October ist, except on communion Sabbaths, 
and in November it was voted to continue the 
summer arrangement until further action 
should be taken by the church. 

A plan of general Christian work was 
adopted in 1870, and printed for distribution 
among the members. This plan provided for 
thirteen committees, viz., Sunday School, 
Central Prayer Meeting, Female Prayer Meet- 
ing, Neighborhood Prayer Meetings, Monthly 
Missionary Concerts, Home Evangelization, 
Hospitality, Social, Sanitary, Charity, Tem- 
perance, Home Missions and Foreign Mis- 
sions. In 1882 there was a similar plan for 
Christian service wuth the same committees, 
except that there were added one on Intro- 
duction and Christian Fellowship, one on 
Ushers, one on Membership and another on 
Tract Work, and the one on Hospitality and 
the Sanitary committee were omitted. The 
[28] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

notable thing about these outlines of church 
work is the number of committees on prayer 
meetings, which indicates that the church was 
once preeminently a praying church. 

ELECTION OF DEACONS. 

The first deacons were Ebenezer Sumner 
and Seth Storrs, chosen in 1801, and in 1809 
it was deemed expedient to have a third dea- 
con, and Joseph Kirby was elected. 

In 1829, a committee was appointed to con- 
sider the advisability of increasing the number 
of deacons, and this committee in reporting, 
said : "If the church consider the only business 
of Deacons to attend to their temporalities, 
it is obvious there is no necessity of increasing 
the number. But as the committee suppose 
their appointment originated in the conviction 
that a suitable number of Deacons might as 
authorized officers greatly promote the inter- 
ests of religion, they do not hesitate to pro- 
pose that the number should be increased by 
four.'' This recommendation was adopted, 
and the same committee was appointed to 
nominate four deacons. At a later meeting 
they reported that they were prepared to nom- 
inate, but they doubted whether it were nec- 
essary or expedient. Whereupon they were 
discharged, and the church proceeded to choose 
four deacons by ballot, and it was found that 
Samuel Swift, Elisha Brewster, Martin N. 
Foot and David Boyce were elected, and these 
[29] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

deacons were inducted into office September 
4, by prayer and the laying on of hands. 

The method of choosing deacons is thus de- 
scribed in 1838: ''Voted that each male mem- 
ber be requested to write the names of four 
persons on his ballot and that the persons who 
have a majority of the whole number of votes 
shall be considered elected/' The result of 
the balloting was that only two, Warren Moore 
and Hiram Munger, were elected. After two 
other unsuccessful ballotings the meeting ad- 
journed to December 7. At this meeting of 
November 30, the largest number of votes cast 
was 85. At the next meeting, December 7, 
on the second ballot Peter Starr and Ira Allen 
were elected. December 26, it was reported 
that Hiram Munger declined to serve, and on 
the second ballot Ephraim Kirby was elected. 
^'January 4," the church observed as a day 
of fasting and prayer, and 'Teter Starr, Ira 
Allen and Ephraim Kirby were set apart by 
prayer and the imposition of hands to the 
office of deacons.'' It will be observed that 
Warren Moore was not thus ''set apart," and 
in March, 1839, George H. Fish was chosen 
deacon on the third ballot. 

Unanimous ballots are quite as likely to in- 
dicate indifference as harmony, and the fact 
that several ballotings were necessary reveals 
much. It shows not only how perfect was 
the understanding and how true the Christian 
fellowship among them, but also indicates 
[30] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

their interest in the matter in hand and their 
freedom of thought and independence of ac- 
tion. If bitter feelings had been engendered 
thereby it cannot be that these very minute rec- 
ords would have failed to rehearse the history 
of such bitterness. 

From the above accounts and similar ones 
of the election of deacons we may infer that 
the office was honorable and the one elected 
to it honored. 

It is significant of the sacrifice of personal 
ease that some were; willing to make to serve 
the church, that Prof. W. H. Parker, than 
whom there was and is no busier man, served 
this church at one and the same tim^e as church 
clerk, church treasurer and deacon, and 
teacher of a men's class in the Sunday school, 
and while performing the duties thus devolv- 
ing upon him, served also on various church 
committees, notably on that of discipline, 
which was no sinecure. 

The plan of electing deacons for a term of 
three years was adopted in 1879, and in 1895, 
it was voted that all deacons should in future 
be elected by ballot. 

DISCIPLINE. 
When people joined the church they 
assented to the following form : ''We promise 
to watch over one another in love, to submit 
ourselves to discipline and to walk according 
to the rules of the Word of God, depending 
[31] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

always upon divine grace for that assistance 
which is necessary in order that we may be 
kept from error, preserved in purity and be 
built up in the most Holy Faith." 

The authority for their method of disciplin- 
ing was Matthew i8, and they followed 
strictly the directions there given. If a brother 
or sister neglected the first and second "ad- 
monition" such an one became unto them "as 
a heathen man and a publican," but if the 
offending brother or sister made confession of 
having done wrong and sought forgiveness 
from the church, the church renewed its fel- 
lowship with said offender after his confession 
had been publicly read in church, the offender, 
whether man or woman, standing in the cen- 
tral aisle while the confession was read from 
the pulpit, and giving his assent to the same. 
The early accusations brought before the 
church against a member begin, "Having been 
for a long time burdened by the conduct of — " 

In 1840, one rash brother proposed that the 
church should consider the question whether 
it is necessary or expedient that confession of 
delinquent members should be exhibited before 
the congregation or before the church only. 
The subject was deferred to the next church 
meeting and then referred to the Consociation. 
As late as 1863 it was decided that voluntary 
confession was not sufficient unless so voted 
by the church, and the following was the 
form used for excommunication: "We do 
[32] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

therefore, praying the Great Head of the 
church to add his blessing, proceed to separate 
you from our body, and you are hereby ex- 
communicated and cut off and denied the en- 
joyment of any ordinance or privilege in this 
church. We refuse to fellowship with you as 
a Christian, withdraw our watch over you and 
consider you cast out of the visible church. 
We feel bound to treat you as the word of God 
directs to treat an excommunicated person. 
'Have no company with him that he may be 
ashamed, (2 Thess. 3:14); Put away from 
among you that wicked person ; keep no com- 
pany with him, no, not to eat, (i Cor. 5: 11- 
13).' May God sanctify his own institution 
for your repentance and reformation." 

Some of the offenses which caused dis- 
ciplining were : — Absenting oneself from pub- 
lic worship without just reason or cause; 
attending the Episcopal church; using intoxi- 
cating liquors; dancing; card playing; unnec- 
essary visiting upon the Sabbath; not having 
had the children in the family baptized; neg- 
lect of family prayers ; using improper and 
unchristian expressions respecting members of 
the church; breaking of covenant vows; using 
profane language. 

There were several instances of discipline 
because of heretical beliefs. In 1805 one 
brother denied that the wicked impenitent and 
ungodly will go away into everlasting punish- 
ment, saying he believed all mankind would 
[33] 



THE COXGREGATIOXAL CHURCH 

be finally restored to a state of salvation and 
perfect happiness. The church feared he was 
left to believe a lie. 

Among other sins a sister vras accused in 
1810 of going to hear Universalist doctrines 
preached and of caviHng at the doctrine of 
the sovereignty of God. A brother denied 
total depravity. Another denied that those 
who believe will never fall from grace. n:ain- 
tained that saving grace is often antecele::: 
to regeneration, denied that God elected any 
to salvation before the foundation of the 
world, or that He elects any before they be- 
lieve. He said and maintained that the breth- 
ren of the church answer to the character of 
the scribes and Pharisees and lawyers, who 
neither entered into the kingdom themiselves 
nor suitered those who were entering in to 
go in. 

In 1S03. a brother made voluntary confes- 
sion thus: "By the temptation :: n:y own 
wicked heart. I have been left to fah into :ne 
sin of doing business on the Sabbath, for which 
I do heartily repent and pray God to forgive 
me and ask forgiveness of the church."' 

In 1806, some men made voluntary confes- 
sion that on the hrsr Sabbath in August they 
were occupied in the nelds in endeavoring to 
save their wheat, which they t.ien :'::'Ught a 
W'ork of necessity and that in doing it they 
conscientiously thought they were in the way 
of their duty, but they are now persuaded that 
[34] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMOXT 

they erred in such conduct and disapprove the 
same. The church expressed itself as satisfied 
with this confession after it had been read in 
public. 

In 1S09, another brother confessed this 
crime : 'T was walking in the streets of ^liddle- 
bury at an improper hour in the night of the 
tenth of August and I did without reflecting 
on the consequences or impropriety of the act, 
knock at the door of a certain house in this 
village, thereby disturbing the inhabitants of 
the dwelling.'' This confession was also read 
from the pulpit. One brother even made con- 
fession of sin committed before he joined the 
church. In 1814, nine brethren helped in kill- 
ing wolves on Sunday. At the church meet- 
ing after sundry remarks, consideration of the 
question, ''Was the conduct of the brethren 
a breach of the Sabbath," was postponed. 
When considered again a yea and nay vote 
showed a large majority voted ''yes.'' The 
wolf-killers were forgiven when confession 
had been publicly made. In 1816 there was 
a similar confession. 

From time to time the church expressed it- 
self with no uncertain sound in regard to the 
duties of its members. For instance in 1820, 
the church voted it inconsistent with the duty 
of professors of religion to send their chil- 
dren to dancing school, and in the same year 
adopted a resolution to the effect that this 
church considers it the indispensable duty of 
[35] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

all members who are heads of families to 
maintain regularly family worship. 

In 1815, a brother was accused of treating 
the Sabbath with neglect and contempt by 
riding out, and in the same year (181 5) the 
accusation was brought against a man that he 
read the newspapers on Sunday, and he re- 
plied that he would rather stay at home and 
read the newspapers than to go to church and 
hear a sermon. 

In 1822, occurred one of the strangest cases 
of discipline when a young man, *'a privileged 
communicant of this church," and a young 
woman formed (1819) a matrimonial engage- 
ment, and he afterwards abandoned her with- 
out just cause. Brethren Swift and Starr were 
appointed to confer with the parties and report 
to the church. The young man confessed the 
breaking of the engagement but did not renew 
it. Later, in 1825, some of the brethren re- 
gretted that in the case of this brother a public 
confession had not been required, and they 
added, "We esteem it a privilege to express 
our feelings on this subject and we do there- 
fore request that this our opinion may be 
entered on the records of the church for the 
benefit of our children and the rising genera- 
tion." 

In 1822, a brother was accused of having, 

contrary to the rules of the church, partaken 

of the sacrament of Lord's Supper with the 

Methodist society, knowing at the same time 

[3^] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

that there was in that society and at that com- 
munion a person who had been excommuni- 
cated from this church. The accused prom- 
ised to refrain in the future. 

In 1837, the record states that the charges 
against a certain person were not denied, and 
if they had been they could have been proved. 

In 1830, Dr. Merrill, the pastor, made the 
following report in regard to the number of 
excommunications : Whole number in 25 
years, 14; excommunicated because of intem- 
perance, 3; whole number of confessions, 31 ; 
number confessing intemperance, 6; number 
excommunicated on other charges but known 
soon to have become intemperate, 2. 

In 1834, a brother expressed himself, in 
writing, as having for years been dissatisfied 
with the church for the following reasons: 
''They violated their own contract by a union 
prayer meeting with the Methodist Church. 
They disobeyed a plain and positive com- 
mand of our Saviour by union in prayer with 
an excommunicated person. They have as- 
sumed to themselves the right to release their 
members from covenant obligations." 

All this interest about the most intimate 
affairs of their neighbors did not prevent the 
members from taking a timely interest in the 
great questions of the day. 

THE SABBATH SCHOOL. 
In his semi-centennial sermon Dr. Merrill 
[37] 



THE COXGREGATIOXAL CHURCH 

says, ''There may have been in some towns as- 
sociations to acquire a knowledge of the Bible, 
but there was not, probably in New England, 
a Sunday School that emanated from the in- 
stitution of Robert Raikes till one was estab- 
lished in Middlebury, in 1815.''' W't should 
like to believe this, but it does not seem so 
''probable'' now as it did when Dr. ]\Ierrill 
wrote. 

The first superintendents of the school were 
the pastor and brothers ]\Iattocks and Cook, 
who appointed instructors and looked after 
the concerns of the schools. 

For many years the church showed the 
greatest interest in the welfare of this Sunday 
School, at various times appointing commit- 
tees "to take such measures as they deem ex- 
pedient to promote the cause of the Sabbath 
School and Bible classes,'' '''to increase at- 
tendance,'''' and again and again various sums 
were ordered to be paid from the church 
treasury to the Sabbath School. These sums 
varied from Sio to S40 or more in a 
year, or the appropriation ordered was ''''as 
the needs required." The church bought Sun- 
day School papers and quarterlies and replen- 
ished the library. Men were appointed to 
raise money for the library, to examine the 
books and to give books to other Sunday 
Schools. 

In 1830, a committee was appointed to pro- 
mote the interests of the Bible Class and to 
[ 38 ] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

take measures for increasing the number of 
attendants, and they reported ''fifteen classes 
regularly attending instruction in the Bible 
with an average attendance of lOO members. 
Of this number between 20 and 30 are stu- 
dents in the college and Female Seminary/* 
Evidently the church thought the condition 
not satisfactory, for it was recommended that 
a committee of seven be appointed 'Svhose 
general duty it shall be to promote the inter- 
ests of the Bible Class and to co-operate with 
the Sabbath School Managers in any measure 
which may concern both schools, and whose 
immediate business it shall be to look out 
young persons through this society and invite 
them to join the classes, and also make a re- 
port of the amount of success of their 
labors." 

The next Sunday the pastor preached on 
the subject of Sabbath Schools and Bible 
Classes, and appointed seven men for the com- 
mittee. For some reason, not stated, seven 
females (1831) w^ere added to this committee 
after a few months, but not before the former 
committee had reported that the number 
(1830) of children in Middlebury between 
four and fourteen was 733, and the number 
of persons between fourteen and twenty-one 
was 392, and had recommended that the Bible 
classes take the Scriptures alone for a text- 
book. They were then using Fiske and 
Abbott's text-book. 

[39] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

The Bible classes and the Sabbath School 
were separate until 1837, when they were 
united, ''with the expectation that the super- 
intendents should be Deacon Brewster, 
brother 2\Iatthew Gordon and Nancy Swift/' 
and that the session should be held during the 
intermission. In 1838, they adopted Barnes's 
Notes on the Gospels as a text-book, ''one set 
only going to a family," and it was reported 
that the Bible class had more than doubled, 
numbering with the Sabbath School "say 

350." 

That the church felt responsible for the 
election of the superintendent is evidenced by 
the fact that in 1838 it was voted that the pas- 
tor and brother Peter Starr be a committee to 
procure a superintendent for the second 
division and a superintendent of the first 
division during the absence of Deacon Swift. 
In 1852, Dr. Brockway w^as elected superin- 
tendent by the church. 

From the above account it is seen that the 
Sabbath School was considered a vital part 
of the church, and the church manifested its 
interest in the Sabbath School by paying a 
large part of the expenses of the school, by 
electing its superintendent, and by appointing 
committees from time to time to consider its 
interests. The men who serv-ed as superin- 
tendents and on various committees were 
among the busiest ones of the day, and yet, as 
is manifest from the large attendance at Sab- 
[40] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

bath School, they found time to consider the 
needs of this branch of the church and serve 
it. 

BENEVOLENCES. 

This church early manifested an interest in 
the benevolences of the denomination, but in 
so doing it never seemed to overlook a need 
in the church or community. 

Many times it is recorded that the church 
voted certain sums to needy members or 
sometimes ''such sums as the need required,'' 
and in 1841 it voted that ''The Deacons make 
provisions for those who would otherwise be 
unable to attend public worship/' 

We may smile over the provision made 
often for buying tracts for charitable pur- 
poses, and (1811) for purchasing three hun- 
dred primers to be distributed by the pastor, 
or over the statement (1812) that four breth- 
ren be a committee to receive subscriptions 
for "The Communicant and the Backslider," 
or because they printed religious cards and 
papers for distribution, or because they voted 
(1835) "to buy enough copies of Edward 
Beecher's six sermons on "Eminent Holi- 
ness" to supply all the families of the church, 
or that (1828) they should vote to buy a hun- 
dred copies of Harris's "Questions on Chris- 
tian Experience and Character" to distribute 
among the members, but this all shows not 
only generosity but a genuine interest in their 
own people. 

[41] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

It was their custom to appropriate money 
from the church treasury for so many things, 
and somehow the money always seemed to be 
there. Money seems so plentiful when a 
church votes, "That each member of the 
church be entitled to one copy of the Middle- 
bury Selections of Hymns," and that "the ex- 
penses be defrayed out of the monies in the 
church treasury," or when the church (1827) 
made Deacon Storrs a life-member of the 
Vermont Domestic Missionary Society by 
appropriating $20 out of the "concert 
money," that they should also appropriate 
$20 out of the church treasury to constitute 
Deacon Sumner a life-member of the same 
society. 

The church sometimes voted money where 
now the society would expect to control the 
expenditure, as in 1830 the church appropri- 
ated money from its treasury to repair the 
vestry, and in 1843 voted to defray the ex- 
penses of moving the pastor's goods, and as 
late as 1888 sent $63.60 to the church in 
Whiting to help in repairing the parsonage. 

It is interesting to know that there was 
once a Gentlemen's Domestic Missionary So- 
ciety in Middlebury, and it was voted in 1832, 
that the pastor pay to the treasurer of that 
society $21 for the benefit of the Vermont 
Domestic Missionary Society. 

This church from the first was interested 
in education, for in 1819, they deemed it ad- 
[42] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

visable to take steps in educating ''indigent, 
pious young men for the ministry/' and the 
pastor and brethren Slade and Swift were 
elected a committee to report what measures 
should be taken. It was later voted that sur- 
plus of contributions hereafter received on 
sacrament days, which shall not be otherwise 
appropriated by the church, shall be put into 
the hands of the educational committee com- 
posed of the pastor and J. S. Kirby and E. 
Brewster. 

The first beneficiary of this fund was 
Lyman Gilbert, who graduated from Middle- 
bury college in 1824, and in 1827 at Andover 
Theological Seminary. 

Further donations were made as follows : — 
8y2 yards of fulled cloth from sisters in the 
south part of the town; 13^ yards of fulled 
cloth from sisters in the north part of the 
town; II 1-16 yards of flannel from sisters in 
the east part of the town; 5^ yards fulled 
cloth from two sisters; about 30 pounds of 
wool from individuals living out of the vil- 
lage; somewhat more than 200 weeks' board 
by ladies living in and near the village, mostly 
members of the church. The record continues, 
''The greater part of the clothes for this stu- 
dent have been cut by two of the brethren and 
made by several of the sisters free of expense. 
The whole amount expended for Mr. Gilbert 
by the committee exclusive of the above is 
$197.86." It is added that he earned consider- 
[43] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

ably more than the amount of his college 
bills. 

Their interest in education was not confined 
to this community, for in 1821 the church 
contribution on one Sunday was given for the 
benefit of the Educational Society and in 
1833 a committee of three was appointed to 
promote the interests of the American Edu- 
cational Society and to see that the money 
collected was paid over to the treasurer of 
the North Western Branch of said Society. 

In the same year the church adopted a plan 
of benevolence whereby aid was given to For- 
eign Missions, the Bible Society, the Coloniza- 
tion Society, (this society was discontinued in 
1839), Domestic Missions, and Education of 
Pious Young Men for the Ministry. Eight 
years later (1841), the church adopted a sys- 
tematic method of giving and collecting and 
added to the above societies, Education So- 
ciety and the Seamen's Aid. To promote col- 
lecting, the town was divided into small dis- 
tricts and *'a male and a female collector were 
appointed for each district" ''unless by some 
arrangement females appointed their own col- 
lectors." In giving the methods to be employed 
by these collectors the record reads, *Tt is 
hoped that collections by personal application 
will always be made for Domestic and Foreign 
Missions and for the Educational Society; 
and that collectors . . . will call on 
every member of the church. . . . It is 
[44] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

affectionately enjoined on the members of this 
church, that they sincerely consider the efforts 
they are bound to make for the salvation of 
the world; that they embark in the cause of 
benevolence with a warmth which becomes 
those who have freely received ; that like the 
early Christians they lay by them in store as 
God has prospered them ; and that they hold 
their gifts ready to impart so that those who 
perform the laborious office of gathering may 
never be under the necessity of repeating their 
calls." 

In the previous year (1840), they voted 
that Zachariah Beckwith be appointed agent 
or treasurer to receive the contributions of the 
church . . . for the several benevolent 
objects patronized by the church. He was 
still holding this office in 1850, and in 1871, 
his son, B. S. Beckwith, was elected to the 
same office. 

The church as early as 1836 realized the in- 
terest a church feels in a missionary whom it 
helps to support, and voted to support Miss 
Agnes Gordon as a missionary teacher in Can- 
ada for six months, and to pay her expenses to 
and from her field and also allow her $1.25 
a week for the time spent in teaching. In 
1838, it was reported that Miss Gordon spent 
two years as a teacher in Canada and 
received $50 from this church and $50 
from Canada. The church recommended 
that $50 more be paid to Miss Gor- 
[45] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

don and it was so ordered. The method 
of raising this extra money was unique 
— they simply increased their contribu- 
tions. It should be remembered that in the 
early history of the church the members gave 
not out of their abundance but out of their 
want. With them, the church and its needs 
and the salvation of the world took precedence 
over luxuries and pleasures. It is also evi- 
dent that this church was hospitable, generous 
and prayerful, and no church that can be thus 
described ever failed in its ministry to the 
hunger and thirst of humanity at its doors. 

MISCELLANY. 

In 1846, the church showed its interest in 
slavery by adopting the following resolution: 
^'Resolved, That we regard the holding of 
men in slavery and depriving them either of 
liberty of the right of holding property, — of 
a just compensation for labor, — of the mar- 
riage relation, — of the privilege of learning to 
read, — or of the right to worship God accord- 
ing to the dictates of conscience, as a great sin, 
a flagrant violation of the law of love, as en- 
joined by Christ and so far as any Christian 
brethren are guilty herein, it is their duty im- 
mediately to repent and to bring forth fruit 
meet for repentance.'' 

As early as 1832 the pastor was requested 
to preach on the subject of temperance which 
he did. At a time (1847) when the use of in- 
[46] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

toxicating liquors was somewhat common, it 
is surprising to find the church adopting this 
resohition : ''Resolved, That it shall be consid- 
ered wrong for any member of this church to 
be engaged in the business of manufacturing, 
or selling intoxicating liquors as a beverage, 
and any person continuing in such business 
shall be called to an account for an immorality 
inconsistent with a Christian profession." 
More than twenty years later, (1869) there 
was the following expression in regard to tem- 
perance : "In view of the alarming increase of 
drunkenness in this community and the ap- 
parent looseness of Christian sentiment on the 
subject of temperance, we deem it important 
for the Church to define its position on this 
subject; therefore 

Resolved, That we expect and require of 
every member of this church total abstinence 
from buying, selling or using intoxicating liq- 
uors as a beverage and emphatic indorsement 
of every proper measure for the suppression 
of the illegal sale and the abatement of the 
giant evil of intemperance. 

Resolved, That the use of wine, or other 
intoxicating drinks at social gatherings is a 
pernicious evil, full of danger, and that no 
member of this church can consistently coun- 
tenance it." 

Their interest in the subject continued un- 
abated, for in 1S72 they said, ''Regarding the 
subject of Temperance as one vitally affect- 
[47] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

ing the best interests of the community, we 
are ready to cooperate with any organization 
that may be formed among us for the further- 
ance of this cause, by giving place to its meet- 
ings one Sabbath evening monthly, provided 
they are conducted so as not to do violence to 
the spirit of the fourth commandment." 

That subject which is now attracting world- 
wide attention, as early as 1836 this church 
was interested in, and the church voted that a 
committee be appointed to report at the next 
meeting what course this church ought to take 
on the subject of Peace and they reported 
(1837) recommending that the minister 
preach on the subject often and that the 
church give to the funds of the American 
Peace Society, and in 1852 they voted that a 
prayer-meeting be held Sabbath evening with 
reference to this subject. 

The only reference found to the subject of 
our Civil War is, that in i860 it was agreed 
that there be a concert of prayer the next 
Sabbath evening for the preservation of peace 
in view of the distracted state of our country 
and the world. 

There was absolutely no question of the 
day in which they did not express an in- 
terest. In 1876, the church adopted resolu- 
tions, addressed to the U. S. Commission, 
praying the members to adhere to their de- 
cision for closing the Centennial exhibition on 
the Sabbath. In 1879, "they voted that the 
[48] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

pastor appoint a committee of ladies to cir- 
culate a petition to be presented to Congress 
praying for the suppression of polygamy in 
Utah. The ladies so appointed were Mrs. 
Abby Beckwith, Mrs. Hulburt, and Mrs. W. 
H. Parker. Yet again in 1880 they circulated 
a petition to be sent to the legislature of 
this State, asking that it enact an effective 
law against the running of trains on the 
Sabbath. 

This record of various lines of work in this 
church shows, how humble were these 
workers in acknowledging their own limita- 
tions, how sacred was the reputation of the 
church, not only in regard to the personal 
morality of its members, but also in regard to 
the general usefulness of the Church as an 
organization, how generous was its hospital- 
ity, how great was the interest at an early date 
in all the benevolent societies of the denomi- 
nation, how alert were the members to take an 
active interest in the questions of the day 
which vitally affected every community and 
the nation, how prominent were the men in 
serving on committees, how honorable, not 
burdensome, it was considered to hold offices 
which involved responsibility, how paternal 
was the interest of the church in the Sunday 
School, how strong was their reliance upon 
prayer as a means to accomplish a desired end. 
As some one has suggested, ''Who can com- 
pute the earnings of these great souls? Who 
[49] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

can estimate their holdings in the wealth of 
the kingdom of God? There is no way except 
to trace effects back to their causes, back to 
the men who produced them. . . These 
are the men and women who in their time left 
their stamp upon their fellow-men, who stood 
for justice and mercy, who were pioneers in 
freedom of body, mind and soul, who carried 
the light of learning and religion into the dark 
lands, who consecrated wealth by their 
method of bestowing it." 

So we can judge methods only by results. 
When we consider the former reputation of 
this church and its influence in town, and 
county and state, the men and women of 
sterling character who were trained here, are 
we sure that our methods are better? 

Their observance of the Sabbath seems to 
us rigid, their discipline to approach unjusti- 
fiable interference; but are we, as they were, 
often ''burdened by the conduct'' of anyone? 
Is our laissez-faire system producing men and 
women who are as loyal to the church, as 
willing to sacrifice personal desires for Chris- 
tian service? Do we have their intimate ac- 
quaintance with the Father of us all and do 
we rely upon Him with the same steadfast 
faith to guide us in judgment and to teach us 
His way? 

As we face the future may we not 
do well to emulate these men and women of 
former generations in their devotion to truth, 
[50] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

in their fearlessness in declaring it, and in 
their consecration to service? 

*'They were leaders of the people by their 
judgment, 

Giving counsel by their understanding and fore- 
sight, 

They were honored in their generation. 

Their bodies are buried in peace, 

But their name liveth forevermore." 



[51] 



CENTENNIAL OF THE DEDICATION 

OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. 

MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT, }vL\Y 31, 

1909. 

By Ezra Braixerd. 

One hundred years ago today there gath- 
ered here a notable body of men and women 
— citizens of the town, members of this re- 
ligious Society, and delegates from sister 
churches — to dedicate this edifice to the 
worship of Almighty God. It is fitting that 
w^e should recall, as vividly as the lapse of 
time will permit, the occurrences of that day, 
the circumstances that determined the erec- 
tion of this sanctuary at this time and on this 
spot, and the character of the men who wor- 
shipped here. In attempting this, I wish to 
acknowledge at the outset my dependence on 
the rich storehouses of information in the 
writings of Dr. Merrill and of Judge Swift. 
Something has been gleaned from the public 
records of the town, from the newspapers of 
that period, and from the traditions of the 
oldest inhabitants ; but Swift and Merrill are 
after all, at this late day, our chief sources of 
knowledge regarding our early histor)^ 
[52] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

It is certainly remarkable that the settlers 
of the town should have erected as their first 
house of worship a building of such size and 
architectural merit. It was largely due to the 
fact that the building of a church edifice was 
deferred for several years, because the inhab- 
itants were unable to agree as to where it 
should be located. To speak briefly, the local 
conditions were these: 

In the charter of the town the royal Gov- 
ernor of New Hampshire, Benning Went- 
worth, provided that ''a tract of land, as near 
the center of said township as the land will 
admit of, shall be marked out for town lots 
each of one acre." In this he was doubtless 
governed by common usage in England, where 
for mutual protection and for sociability the 
people in rural regions often live near together 
in a, central village, going out sometimes sev- 
eral miles to till their farms. The plot of 
land, here set apart as required by the charter 
for a central village, lies directly east of the 
sandpit now operated by the Marble Com- 
pany, and is an uninviting piece of wet clay 
land, on which for over a century afterward 
no house was ever erected. But a mile to the 
south, near what is now the central burying- 
ground, lies a handsome tract of dry loamy 
soil. Anticipating probably that this would be 
the proper site for the village, Daniel Foot 
and his sons had here gained possession of 900 
acres of land. When religious meetings were 
[53] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

first held, Mr. Foot very obligingly provided 
a place for holding them, opening his house in 
winter and his barn in summer; the latter a 
building 75 feet by 40, with a floor through 
the whole length of it. It was here that the 
first settled minister, Rev. John Barnet, was 
ordained in 1790. Less than half a mile to 
the north was the house and hundred-acre lot 
that the minister had secured for his home. 
It seemed at first that here was where the 
future village was to be built. 

But the admirable water-power on Otter 
Creek attracted the attention of certain saga- 
cious settlers. Though at that time on the ex- 
treme western boundary of the township, it 
seemed to them the natural site for an indus- 
trial center. A gristmill and a sawmill were 
of the greatest importance to the pioneer com- 
munity, for there were no facilities for bring- 
ing in flour and lumber from a distance. 
Gamaliel Painter, who first settled on the 
southern boundary of the town, as early as 
1786, purchased the fifty acres adjoining the 
falls ; and not long afterward both gristmill 
and sawmill were built. The following year 
Painter moved with his family to the lot 
where now stands the house of Mr. Gardner 
Wainwright. In 1791 he deeded what is now 
a park south of The Addison to the inhab- 
itants of the County, saying ''this is the place 
for the courthouse"; and he was influential 
in getting it built there five years later. He 
[54] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

sold on reasonable terms land for stores, 
shops, taverns and house-lots ; and in all pos- 
sible ways skillfully laid the foundations for 
a future village. 

In Tune, 1790, the town chose '"'a com- 
mittee of five to fix on a place to set 
the meeting-house." In December, 1791, 
after a year and a half of deliberation, 
three of the five, Daniel Foot, Stephen 
Goodrich, and Joshua Hyde, reported on 
a site just north of the present cemetery on 
Foot Street. But significantly the report was 
not signed by the two other members of the 
committee, Gamaliel Painter and John Chip- 
man, his brother-in-law. The Foot party 
pressed for building a house without delay; 
but the opposition, though in the minority, 
were able to delay the building by refusing 
their co-operation. Daniel Foot ofifered to 
erect the meeting-house at his own expense 
and receive only the interest on the money in- 
vested. But the opposition were able in 
^'Tarch, 1792, to secure a vote to pay this inter- 
est only "as long as said town makes use of 
said house for the purpose above mentioned." 
Daniel Foot then refused further to accommo- 
date the church by the use of his barn for 
meetings, and they were held at the minister's 
house or at Philip Foot's; and in ^lay, 1793, 
the town voted to meet "at IMr. Ebenezer 
Summer's barn, till such time as he shall fill it 
with hay." These three places were all in 
[ 55 ] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

the immediate neighborhood of the proposed 
church site ; but in December, 1794, the town 
voted to meet for worship in the village near 
the Falls, at a tavern which had been recently 
built by Samuel Mattocks, Jr. on the site 
w^here now stands The Addison. The public 
worship of the Sabbath was thereafter always 
held in the village. Its future growth was 
clearly manifest, when, in 1796, it w^as en- 
larged by adding the settlement west of the 
river, till then a part of Cornwall. When the 
court-house was finished, in 1798, it was oc- 
cupied as a place of worship till the erection 
of the present sanctuary. 

But it was not till 1806 that the work of 
building was seriously taken hold of. The 
location of the church in the village was 
several times changed. A vote was once 
passed to build it on the lot now occupied by 
the Baptist parsonage; at another time to 
build where now stands the Methodist church. 
Finally, in March, 1806, the present site was 
purchased. This delay was in part due to 
certain changes in the laws of the State, sepa- 
rating completely, in 1807, ecclesiastical mat- 
ters from the business of the town, and ex- 
empting from taxes for religious purposes any 
who expressed dissent from the doctrines of 
the predominant church. Between 1801 and 
1804 Judge Swift says that 73 tax-payers had 
thus obtained release. Thus only those 
whose hearts were in the work were permitted, 
[56] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

with voluntary contributions, to build the 
house of the Lord. However, the expense 
was largely defrayed by a public sale of the 
pews; the contributions being thus put some- 
what in the form of an investment instead of 
a gift. 

The superintendence of the work was wisely 
placed in the hands of Painter; and with his 
accustomed sagacity he secured in Albany, 
N. Y., an experienced architect, Mr. Lavius 
Fillmore, to plan and erect the building. We 
wish we knew more of the birth-place and 
training of this accomplished artist. His con- 
nection with the Church of England, and his 
evident familiarity with the Christopher Wren 
style of architecture lead us to surmise that he 
was of English birth and had lived and studied 
more or less in London. He built other 
churches in the State, notably the one now 
standing at Bennington Center, the interior of 
which is less altered from the original design 
than the one in which we are now assembled. 
While erecting the church in Middlebury Fill- 
more purchased of Judge Painter his mills 
and waterpower, and constructed with great 
ingenuity a new flouring-mill on a most sub- 
stantial basis, capable of manufacturing into 
flour 80,000 bushels of grain annually. The 
vault for the six water-wheels is still to be 
seen, cut twenty-five feet deep out of the 
solid rock, connected by a tunnel twenty-six 
feet long with the water above the falls, and 
[57] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

uel Swift, at that time a young lawyer in part- 
nership with Daniel Chipman. It was in seven 
stanzas of eight lines each, and was sung to 
**the tune of Milton." Let me repeat two 
stanzas of this admirable ode: — 

In hymns harmonious sing 
The honors of the Lord, 
Who built the earth and heavens 
By his creative word; 
Let all the earth 
Unite to praise 
In greatful lays 
His boundless worth. 

He deigns in earthly courts 

To dwell with contrite hearts, 
And by his Son his grace 
To sinful man imparts. 
Let us proclaim, 
When we appear 
In temples here. 
Praise to his name. 

And what of those, who on this memorable 
occasion sat in the pews ? There were present 
a goodly number of men and women who 
afterward became famous as teachers, law- 
yers, judges, legislators, or governors. Doubt- 
less here sat Gamaliel Painter, known as "The 
Father of the Village and of the County," 
who thirteen different times was chosen to 
represent the town in the Legislature, a man 
famed for his wisdom, public vSpirit and ex- 
ecutive force, a lover of learning leaving all 
his estate by will to the College. Here must 
have been seen the classic Puritan face of 
Jeremiah Atwater, the first President of the 
• [60] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

College. We maye hope that the Hon. Sam- 
uel Miller, a devoted friend of the Society, 
was able to be present, though suffering from 
a malady that terminated his Hfe the following 
April; his home was just across the street 
where the Beckwiths now live. Miller was a 
lawyer widely known throughout the State, 
of courteous address, one of the charter mem- 
bers of the College Corporation, liberal and 
efficient in promoting the prosperity of the 
Church, leaving a legacy of $i,ooo for the 
support of the gospel. His widow, a sister 
of Samuel Mattocks, Jr., and of John Mat- 
tocks (afterwards Governor of Vermont) sur- 
vived her husband many years, and was noted 
for her benevolence and her leadership in 
every good work. 

Surely there was present here a hundred 
years ago. Col. Seth Storrs, a graduate of Yale 
in 1778 and a warm friend and associate of 
its President, the elder Dwight. It was Storrs 
who first conceived the idea of having a col- 
lege in Middlebury, and who among other 
benefactions gave the beautiful campus on 
which the College now stands. For thirty- 
nine years he was a deacon of the church, and 
ever active in promoting its interests. Dr. 
Darius Matthews we may presume was pres- 
ent, for many years Judge of Probate and 
Clerk of the Supreme Court, who though he 
had just moved to a farm on the Cornwall 
border, now occupied by his grandson, was 
[61] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

still a member of this church. Dr. Merrill 
tells us he was one of the first in this part of 
the counti*y to conduct a large farm without 
the use of spirituous liquors. Here was also, 
we may believe, William Slade, then a law 
student in the office of Judge Doolittle, only 
twenty-three years of age, but soon to become 
eminent as a lawyer, an orator, and a poli- 
tician. For twelve years he sat in Congress, 
and for two years was Governor of Vermont, 
ever zealous as a reformer and as a philan- 
thropist — a man. Judge Swift says, who ''no- 
where in Congress or elsewhere concealed his 
profession as a Christian." 

Nor should we omit to record as present 
here one hundred years ago the learned and 
amiable historian of Middlebury and of Addi- 
son County, Hon. Samuel Swift, a graduate 
of Dartmouth College in 1800, who came here 
the following year to serve as tutor in the Col- 
lege. For over seventy years he was an es- 
teemed citizen of the town, holding many im- 
portant offices : Treasurer of the College, 
newspaper Editor, four times Town Repre- 
sentative, twenty years Judge of Probate. 
Only his modesty has omitted from the His- 
tory of Middlebury a proper account of his 
long and valuable services to the town and to 
the church. 

We should also include in this random list 
of eminent persons living here a century ago 
the names of some, who though afterward as- 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

sociated with other Christian denominations, 
at this time cooperated with the Congrega- 
tional Society ; for when this church was ded- 
icated there was no other organized rehgious 
body in town. Among these was Daniel Chip- 
man, who before an Episcopal Society was 
established here, contributed liberally to the 
support of the Congregational Society and for 
the erection of the church. Settling in Mid- 
dlebury in 1794, he was for fifty-six years 
prominent here as a lawyer, a statesman and 
an author. There was also the Hon. Horatio 
Seymour, who graduating from Yale in 1797, 
came to Middlebury two years later, and dur- 
ing the remaining fifty-eight years of his life 
was one of her most distinguished citizens, 
serving for twelve years in the United States 
Senate. He is described by Judge Swift, his 
lifelong associate, as a man of superior talent, 
but most unassuming; one who had no for- 
bearance for intrigue or dishonesty ; courteous 
and kind toward all with whom he came in 
contact, so that he seemed to have the per- 
sonal friendship of every one. 

Dr. John Willard was likewise in sympathy 
with every good word and work. The first 
physician to settle in town, about the year 
1787, he enjoyed for over twenty years an ex- 
tensive practice; but his talent for public af- 
fairs led to his appointment to important 
offices, that more and more interfered with his 
professional duties. He was for nine years 
[63] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

United States Marshall for the District of 
Vermont; later in 1812 he was Sheriff of Ad- 
dison County; for six years he was one of 
the Directors of the Vermont State Bank. We 
may well believe that he \vas present at the 
dedication services; and also the popular 
teacher of the Ladies Academy, Miss Emma 
Hart, w^hom Dr. Willard married the follow- 
ing August. No woman from Vermont ever 
achieved greater distinction than she was to 
achieve in the years that followed. She was 
ordained to be the pioneer in the movement 
for the higher education of women; and from 
her famous Seminary — opened in 1814 in the 
brick house east of the present College Library 
and later removed to Troy — she was to send 
forth into every State of the Union hundreds 
of teachers to carry out her methods of edu- 
cation and to awaken enthusiasm for her 
ideals of w^omanhood. 

And w^hat shall I more say? for the time 
will fail m.e if I tell of Judge Doolittle, and of 
Professor Hall — of the Mungers and the 
Foots — of Peter Starr and Samuel Mattocks 
and John Simmons — of William Bass, Joshua 
Hyde, Deacon Sumner, Martin Everts, and 
scores of others, men of intelligence, energy 
and probity, who here laid well the founda- 
tions of future prosperity. Dr. Merrill, who 
had known personally the first settlers, said 
in his semi-centennial sermon in 1840, 'T feel 
a kind of veneration for the men who not only 
[64] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

conceived the idea of having this wilderness 
turned into a fruitful field, but could take 
upon themselves the cares and burdens of 
doing it. . . . Ten or fifteen years after 
the first hut was built in the village, there was 
but little wealth here. And yet in 1798 the 
court-house was completed; the College was 
founded in 1800; and a building erected for a 
female Seminary in 1805. When they wanted 
a meeting house, it was erected.'' 

Let no one think that I would exalt the 
virtues of the ancient worthies to the disparag- 
ment of the present. I remember the words 
of the wise man of Israel, "Say not thou what 
is the cause that the former days were better 
than these, for thou dost not inquire wisely 
concerning this." 

But the virtues that were preeminent in 
one age may not be preeminent in a subse- 
quent age. In many respects the life of to- 
day may be better than the life of a hundred 
years ago; but in other respects it may be 
worse. It is most salutary for us to study and 
appreciate the excellencies of men of other 
places and other times. It is especially in- 
cumbent on us to honor the fathers who estab- 
lished the beneficent institutions that we have 
inherited. We do well to look upon the older 
generations with admiration for their achieve- 
ments, and with reverence for their wisdom. 
What if time does throw a halo of glory over 
the past, even as ^'distance lends enchantment 
[65] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

to the view"? It is our privilege to speak of 
naught but the virtues of the dead, to allow 
all the belittling circumstances of their lives 
to fade from view, and to behold in them only 
what was noble and heroic. 

Let me in concluding point out briefly some 
of the external conditions that were peculiarly 
favorable for the development of those vir- 
tues that characterized the founders of our 
town and church. 

For one thing they constituted a homo- 
geneous population. They were of the purest 
New England stock, chiefly from the best fam- 
ilies of Connecticut. At that time the older 
New England States had a larger population 
than the land could well support, as the in- 
habitants lived chiefly by farming. After the 
Revolutionary war the old hives sent out their 
swarms of young men into central New York 
and western Vermont. They were stalwart 
pioneers, of sterling character, bred for gen- 
erations of the best Puritan blood and tradi- 
tions. I can find in the whole population at 
the time the church was dedicated but one 
instance of a settler of foreign birth. No In- 
dian or negro was here; no Irish, French, or 
German save only an old Hessian soldier from 
the British army, Hendrick Hier, who tilled a 
sterile tract on the mountain side. Here in 
the primeval forest, without disturbance or 
contamination, the immigrants from Connecti- 
cut were free to build up a new community in 
[66] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

the fear of God and in the love of truth and 
righteousness. 

It requires a mental effort to realize how 
isolated and self-dependent were the Green 
Mountain towns in those early days. No rail- 
roads brought the products of other regions to 
their doors, or enabled them to sell abroad 
their superfluous crops and wares. Over the 
long and rough forest roads merchants 
brought in but a scanty stock of staple goods. 
Their flour and meal were of their own grind- 
ing; their garments were from the wool of 
their own sheep, carded and spun and woven 
at home or in their own mills. Iron nails and 
door latches, tools and farming utensils were 
largely made by their own blacksmiths. From 
Prof. Hall's "statistical account" we learn that 
in 1820 there were among others the following 
shops in the village of Middlebury: three 
hatters, six shoemakers, seven blacksmiths, 
one gunsmith, two coopers; also two potter- 
ies, three tanneries, and two cabinet-shops. 
Nearly every citizen, whether merchant, law- 
yer, doctor or priest owned and cultivated a 
piece of land. A map of this period shows 
that such men as Atwater, Merrill, Willard, 
Storrs, Chipman and Painter possessed — each 
of them — broad acres in the vicinity of the 
village. 

And so it was that a hundred years ago these 
worthy men were enabled to lead here in a 
preeminent manner the ''simple life." They 
[67] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

had but few of the luxuries and comforts that 
we enjoy — no electric lights, no hot air fur- 
naces, no concrete walks, no telephones; but 
they were happy and content with what they 
did have. No daily paper with from eight to 
forty-eight pages reported to them the crimes 
and accidents of a whole continent. No pub- 
lic libraries and reading rooms wearied them 
with insatiable demands upon their time, or 
with silent reproaches for neglected oppor- 
tunities. The great volumes of scientific lore 
were as yet mostly unwritten ; they knew noth- 
ing of microbes, nothing of the higher crit- 
icism, nothing of the problems of socialism. 
But they had a child-like faith in special prov- 
idence; they believed in revivals; they lived 
in a wholesome fear of the judgments of 
Almighty God. 

We may not wish that our lot had been cast 
in this happy era of the past. In our saner 
moments we rather thank God that we live as 
near as we do to the latter days, with so much 
of human ignorance and wickedness behind us, 
with so much of the glories of the future has- 
tening forward to meet us. But who shall 
blame us, if at times we sigh for the repose 
and simplicity of former days, and covet the 
virtues of our forefathers? 

I cannot more appropriately close this ad- 
dress than by repeating the concluding words 
of Dr. Merrill's semicentennial sermon, de- 
livered from this pulpit seventy years ago : 
[68] 



MIDDLEBURY. VERMOXT 

*'The first settlers of the town are gone, or 
are l^ending over the grave. When fifty years 
more shall have elapsed . . . and an- 
other man shall stand up here to preach a 
century sermon, where shall we be? It is not 
improbable that every adult person in this 
house will be in the grave. God grant that we 
may look on past errors with grief ; on past 
favors with gratitude ; on present mercies with 
thanksgiving. Then, though our bodies turn 
back to the dust from which they were 
moulded, shall our 

'rapt souls, anticipating heaven. 
Burst from the thraldom of incumbering clay, 
And on the wings of ecstacy upborne. 
Spring into liberty and light and life.' " 



[69] 



^'DEACONS OF THE CONGREGA- 
TIONAL CHURCH, MIDDLEBURY, VT. 

By Thomas E. Boyce. 

It appears from the Church Records that in 
1792, one year and five months after the Con- 
gregational Church of Middlebury was organ- 
ized, it was ''Voted that Mr. Hale and Mr. 
Sumner shall act as Deacons till some alter- 
ation be made." In December, 1798. it was 
"Voted that Seth Storrs officiate as Deacon 
of the Church in the absence of Ebenezer 
Sumner, and to assist in said office." This 
arrangement was continued until 1801, the 
year of the first revival of the Church, and 
eleven years after its organization, when 
Ebenezer Sumner and Seth Storrs were 
elected the first Deacons of the Church. Both 
held office until they died, Deacon Storrs in 
1837 and Deacon Sumner in 1844. Deacon 
Sumner was a farmer and lived at the North 
end of Foot Street, on the east side of the 
road nearly opposite the A'allette House. Dea- 
con Storrs was one of the Trustees of the 
College named in the Charter. He practiced 
law, having been admitted to the bar in 1792. 

Joseph Kirby, a son of Abraham Kirby. 
one of the Charter members of the Church, 

"^ This and the following Articles were also read 
at the Centennial of the Dedication of the Church 
Building, May 31, 1909. 

[70] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

was elected Deacon in 1809 and held office 
till his death in 1831. He was a farmer and 
lived on the farm recently owned by Deacon 
Phillips, northeast of the village. In 1829, 
Samuel Swift was elected Deacon and held 
office till he died in 1875. Deacon Swift was 
a lawyer and lived where Governor Stewart 
now lives, 25 Elm Street. He was trustee of 
the College, 1827-1855. 

In 1829, Elisha Brewster, Martin N. Foot 
and David Boyce were elected Deacons. Dea- 
con Brewster held office till his death in 1838. 
He lived where Oscar Cushman now lives and 
erected the Brewster block, where he con- 
ducted the drug business associated with 
George Fish. It is said that he was a very 
valuable member of the Church and gained 
great influence in town. He was chosen a 
member of the Legislature for each of the 
four years previous to his death. Deacon 
Foot was a farmer, lived where Martin Boyce 
now lives and held office till he died in, 1833. 
David Boyce was a farmer and made brick. 
He lived some three miles east of the Village 
in a brick house, later the home of his son, 
Elijah Y. Boyce. David Boyce made the 
brick for the Brewster block. I am informed 
that he used to drive a double team with lum- 
ber box wagon — sometimes an ox team — and 
gather up a load of people on his way to 
Church. In those days morning and afternoon 
services were held. They were very strict 
[71] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

not only in regard to Sunday observances, but 
also those of Thanksgiving and Fast Day. On 
one of the last mentioned days, when David E. 
Boyce was about 17 years old, he remained 
at home while his father, Deacon David 
Boyce, attended church services. Upon the 
Deacon's return he asked his son how he had 
spent the day. Young David confessed that 
he had made a brush for brushing chips and 
shavings from his bench. The Deacon gave 
his son a severe lecture and among other 
things said, ^'Young man, never let me hear 
of your doing such a thing again.'' It is re- 
lated that Deacon David Boyce never drove 
his horses faster than a walk, and some wag 
said that he should be complained of for 
cruelty to animals. Deacon Boyce became in- 
firm with advancing years and resigned as 
Deacon in 1853. 

In 1838, Peter Starr, Ira Allen and Ephraim 
Kirby were elected Deacons. Deacon Starr 
built the house now owned by Mrs. Hadley at 
7 Pleasant Street. He was a lawyer and had 
an office on Merchants' Row just east of the 
railroad bridge. He was trustee of the Col- 
lege from 1819 till his death in i860. His 
resignation was accepted in 1853. 

Deacon Ira Allen built and occupied the 
house w^here Mr. John H. Stewart lives, 16 
Court Street. Deacon Allen conducted a 
wheelwright and general blacksmith business, 
but did not shoe horses. He made the springs 
[72] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

on our Vestry doors, which have been per- 
forming their duty for many years. His shop 
was located where Mr. Edward P. Cushman's 
house stands, 20 Court Street. He held the 
ofifice of deacon till his death in 1874. 

Deacon Ephraim Kirby was the son of Dea- 
con Joseph Kirby and resigned in 1840. He 
was a farmer and succeeded his father in the 
ownership of the farm later bought by Dea- 
con Phillips. 

George H. Fish was elected Deacon in 1839 
and dismissed to a church in Saratoga in 1841. 
He was associated with Deacon Brewster in 
the apothecary business. 

Dr. Wm. Bass was elected Deacon in 1840 
and held office till his death in 185 1. He built 
and occupied the house now the summer home 
of Mr. and Mrs. D. McGregor Means. Dr. 
Bass was a prominent physician and is said to 
have paid his bills, while erecting his house, 
from the income of his regular practice. He 
had the rare faculty of collecting his bills. It 
is said that he generally had a sack in his 
wagon so he could take grain in case he could 
not get the money. 

In 1845, Eli Mathews and Cyrus Porter 
were elected Deacons, each holding office till 
death, the former in 1864 and the latter in 
1857. Deacon Mathews lived where Dr. Bump 
now lives, 49 Court Street. He was a black- 
smith and had a shop at the entrance to the 
fair grounds. He was also associated with 
[7Z] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

Julius Johnson on Washington Street and had 
the shop which Byron Smith used before he 
built his new one. For a time they shod all 
the stage horses which were stabled at Middle- 
bury. There were some fifty of them belong- 
ing to three stage routes. Middlebury was an 
important center in those days, as at this point 
the Boston route, which went over the moun- 
tain through Hancock and down the White 
river, joined the route to Burlington and the 
one to Castleton. Later Deacon Mathews 
moved onto the farm now owned by his son, 
Mr. E. J. Mathews. 

Deacon Porter was a farmer and lived in 
the house now owned by Mr. T. M. Chapman 
just beyond the cemetery on the Cornwall 
road. 

In 1853, Jason Davenport, Harvey Wilcox 
and William Hammond were elected Deacons. 
Deacon Davenport lived at 3 South Street, 
where Prof. Seely lives. He was in the hard- 
ware business and had a store where Mr. 
Farnsworth is located. He had a stove 
foundry down near the Paper Mill bridge. At 
length he went to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to 
live with his son, Edward J. Davenport, where 
he died. 

Deacon Harvey Wilcox was a shoe maker 
and had a shop on the east side of Main Street 
at the north end of the bridge. In recent years 
William Danyew occupied the same room for 
a barber shop. In those days shoes were made 
[74] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

to order and it is presumed that the chirop- 
odist had very little if any business. Deacon 
Wilcox held office till his death in i860. 

Deacon William Hammond was a farmer 
and lived in a house, since burned, which stood 
on the west side of the road north of the Ham- 
mond cemetery. He was associated with Ed- 
win Hammond in the sheep business. Edwin 
lived on top of the hill where John Hammond 
now lives. After William died, Edwin moved 
to the house north of the cemetery, and Henry 
Hammond, William Hammond's son, moved 
to the house on the hill. Deacon Hammond 
held office till his death in 1858. 

In 1857, Prof. WilHam H. Parker was 
elected Deacon and held the office till his death 
in 1889. He was graduated from Middlebury 
College in 1830 and was Professor of Math- 
ematics 1848-81. He was treasurer of the 
same 1855-84, and Trustee 1855 till his death. 
I think he was the only person while a mem- 
ber of the faculty to be elected to the Board 
of Trustees. He taught a men's Bible Class 
in the Sunday School for many years. 

In 1858, David E. Boyce was elected Dea- 
con and held the office till his death in 1888. 
He was the son of Deacon David Boyce. He 
was a carpenter by trade and after marriage 
a farmer, living in the east part of the town. 
He made the blinds for this Church before 
1849. They were made by hand, and the plane 
used had three cutting irons for properly shap- 
[75] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

ing the slats. He was selectman for a number 
of years and built the stone-gravel road be- 
tween the Halladay corner and Beaver Brook. 
He constructed five wooden bridges in town, 
four of which are still in use. He put the 
long arches into our two covered bridges, 
which will make the bridges safe for many 
years to come. He was connected with Sun- 
day School and Prayer-meeting work in Case 
Street for many years. 

In 1861, Merlin Clark was elected Deacon 
and held the office till his death in 1872. He 
was a farmer and lived a little south of the 
Douglas farm about two miles southwest of 
the village. 

In 1865, Charles W. Linsley was elected 
Deacon and held the office till he was dis- 
missed to a Church in Alstead, N. H. He was 
a farmer and lived on the East Middlebury 
road in the second house southeast of the 
Foot Street school-house. 

In 1870, George L. Porter was elected Dea- 
con and held office till he moved to Connecticut 
in 1887. He was a farmer and lived where his 
father. Deacon Cyrus Porter, lived, on the 
Cornwall road, just within the village limits. 

In 1872, Henry J. Wilcox and L. C. Bar- 
rows were elected Deacons; the former held 
office till his death in 1902, and the latter until 
his death in 1895, except three years, 1884 to 
1887, when he declined to serve. Harvey and 
Henry Wilcox were brothers. Henry was a 
[76] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

tinsmith and had a shop where Dr. Sheldon 
lives, 91 Main Street. He did the tin work 
for our church furnaces. He owned the sec- 
ond farm south of the George Porter place. 

Deacon Barrows was a farmer and lived 
where Mr. Charles Keese now lives. He was 
quite prominent at Sunday School conventions 
and various church meetings, at which he was 
often a delegate. His death was tragic. He 
was driving a spirited team hitched to a land 
roller. For some cause the team ran away, 
as he was driving between the back meadow 
and the barn; he was thrown in front of the 
roller which passed over his body and killed 
him instantly. 

In 1879, Judge S. E. Cook was elected Dea- 
con, and held office till he died, the following 
year. He was Judge of Probate for several 
years and filled the office in a worthy manner. 

In 1880, C. D. Mead was elected Deacon 
and held office till 1890. He was principal of 
our village school some 18 years. After that 
he taught in Claflin University, Orangeburg, 
S. C. When Mr. Howes was principal, Mr. 
Mead gave money for establishing a teachers' 
library in our graded school, which unfortu- 
nately was destroyed in the fire. Failing health 
compelled him to give up the active duties of 
life, and he spent his closing days on his farm 
south of the village. He died in January, 1908. 

In 1884, Clarence A. Phillips was elected 
Deacon and still holds office. He was a 
[77] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

farmer, spent his early life in Ripton, Vt. ; 
later removed to Middlebury and lived on the 
Ephraim Kirby farm and still later made his 
home in the village. 

In 1889, Thomas E. Boyce was elected Dea- 
con in place of his father, deceased. He has 
taught eighteen years, nine years of this time 
Professor of Mathematics in Middlebury Col- 
lege, for a number of years County Examiner 
of teachers, and at present aiding in the prep- 
aration of the Morgan Register and the regis- 
tration of Morgan horses. 

In 1890, M. A. Munroe was elected Deacon 
for three years and C. W. Mathews for two 
years. Deacon Munroe was continued in office 
till his death in 191 1. He had a fine tenor 
voice and sang in the church choir many years. 
His home was 42 Seminary Street, in what 
was formerly the Ladies' Seminary, which he 
purchased and remodeled into a very pleasant 
home. 

In 1892, Prof. W. W. Eaton was elected 
Deacon in place of Deacon Parker, deceased, 
and held office till his death, February, 1905. 
He was Professor of Greek in Middlebury 
College from 1882 till his death, and of Ger- 
m.an from 1884- 1894. He was highly re- 
spected by all. 

In 1897, Prof. Charles B. Wright was 
elected Deacon and still holds the office. He 
has been Professor of English in Middlebui^y 
College for over twenty-five years. 
[78] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

In 1903, J. E. Crane was elected Deacon 
and still holds the office. Deacon Crane has 
the largest bee establishment in the state, and 
has accomplished much in improving the busi- 
ness and combating the diseases of the honey 
bee. 

In 1905, Frank A. Bond was elected Dea- 
con and held office till his death in 1909. Dea- 
con Bond was a merchant in Middlebury for a 
number of years. 

It may not be amiss in closing to give a 
resolution passed in 1829 which may aid 
us in keeping our duties in mind, as follows : 
"Resolved, that it shall be considered the duty 
of the Deacons of the church in conjunction 
with the Pastor, to visit the members ; to ex- 
ercise a general watch over them: and to 
meet occasionally to consult for the interests 
of religion and the prosperity of the 
church.'' 

ADDENDA— JANUARY, 1913. 

In 1910, J. O. Seeley and A. S. Harriman 
were elected Deacons ; the former still holds 
office, and the latter declined re-election in 
1913. Deacon Seeley is a farmer and lives 
on the John Seeley farm some three miles 
south of the village. Deacon Harriman has 
been Principal of the Middlebury High School 
for a number of years. 

In 191 1, Charles E. Harris was elected Dea- 
con ; he is a farmer and owns the Ainsworth 
[79] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

farm west of the Colleges on the Bridport 
raad. 

In 1913, Prof. Ernest C. Bryant, Professor 
of Physics in Middlebury College, was 
elected Deacon. 

At the annual church meeting, January, 
1913, the board was composed of Deacons C. 
A. Phillips, T. E. Boyce, Charles B. Wright, 
J. E. Crane, J. O. Seeley, Charles E. Harris 
and Ernest C. Bryant. 



[80] 



THE CHURCH'S CONTRIBUTION TO 
STATE, NATION AND WORLD. 

By James E. Crane. 

Fifty-seven years ago a church building was 
erected in a neighboring town. As the walls 
went up, brick upon brick, a pole was raised 
nearby, from which a banner floated in the 
breeze, bearing the motto, "Our Country's 
Good." I read these words as a lad, and won- 
dered what the building of a church had to 
do with the welfare of the country. With 
maturer years I came to know that churches 
are most assuredly for the good of our coun- 
try, centers of life, and joy, and blessing, like 
oases in a desert land. 

I have been asked to speak of the good that 
this particular church has been to the world, 
or in the vernacular of the business life of the 
day, "What has been the output of the 
church?'' No mortal can tell in all its com- 
pleteness. Omniscience alone knows. I shall 
therefore content myself with speaking of 
the channels through which this church has 
contributed to the good of the world. 

It is a matter of no small importance that 
it has erected this stately edifice, in which we 
worship, the house beautiful without and 
[8i] 



THE COXGREGATIOXAL CHURCH 

within, its graceful spire pointing heavenward, 
bidding all who see it to look up. Through 
the frosty air of winter and the heat of sum- 
mer, through the glad spring time and the 
golden autumn days, week by week, its belfry 
has sent out a gracious invitation to all to 
come together for fellowship and worship. 
Through its open doors have come the rich 
and the poor, the learned and the unlearned 
for spiritual strength and refreshment. Be- 
neath the shelter of its roof have the children 
and youth met for the study of the word of 
life. Through all the circling years of a cen- 
tury from its sacred desk have been pro- 
claimed the glad tidings of a Saviour's love, 
the fatherhood of God, and the brotherhood 
of man, with such ethical duties as of neces- 
sity follow. 

We are accustomed to think of the Sunday 
School as merely a local institution, the nurs- 
ery of the church, but it may be more and 
prove a worthy channel through which the life 
of the church may flow out to bless the world. 
Only a year or two since, through the contribu- 
tion of a small sum of money by our Sunday 
School, another school was organized, that 
within a year had grown into a church, a cen- 
ter of life and light and joy, for all that region. 
Kow many such have been organized by our 
school, I cannot tell. I only know its influence 
is felt to remote places of the earth. 

This is a material age and we are apt to 

[S2] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

measure the value of things by the amount of 
money they can produce; the value of a 
church, even, is determined by its contribu- 
tions for charitable or religious purposes. Yet 
I would rather think of this as only one of 
the many channels of usefulness of the 
church for the good of the world. Whether 
for the starving settlers in Kansas a half 
century ago, the victims of the Chicago 
fire, the more recent earthquake sufferers on 
our Pacific coast, or other cases of distress, 
our church has ever been open to the cry of 
suffering not only in our own land but in the 
uttermost parts of the earth. 

For the prosecution of religious work in 
home and foreign fields it has worked through 
the American Board of Commissioners for 
Foreign Missions, the American Home Mis- 
sionary Society, the Church Building Society 
and other kindred organizations. At one time 
it was said that our church had done more to 
sustain these handmaids of the church than 
any other within our state. It seems quite 
certain, that during the first half of the last 
century our church was foremost, and did 
more to organize and support the Vermont 
Home Missionary Society than any other 
within Vermont. 

But what has our church done in the pro- 
duction of Christian manhood and woman- 
hood, the noblest product of any age or in- 
stitution? We sometimes wonder at the brief 
[83] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

record of the old antediluvian patriarchs. 
We read that they were born, begat children, 
and died, and we are left to guess the rest. 
Even more brief is the record of a large num- 
ber of the members of our church. They 
united with our church by profession or letter 
on a certain date, and later died or were dis- 
missed, and the record is closed. Of their 
aspirations for all that is noble, worthy, and 
Christlike, their conflicts with evil, their temp- 
tations and their victories we have no record. 
Many of these are remembered by those now 
living as worthy examples of Christian 
lives. That there were few drones in the 
early membership of our church seems evi- 
dent, and no bees ever toiled harder to gather 
their winter stores, or build their waxen cells, 
than these people in building the church they 
loved so well, establishing Christian homes, 
and founding institutions of learning, whose 
influence for good will be felt to the end of 
time. In some way the life of the church 
seems closely connected with the College, like 
children of the same family. Some of the 
members of our church have occupied po- 
sitions of great responsibility and honor in 
both state and nation, giving exceptional 
opportunities for Christian service and useful- 
ness. Others have devoted their lives to the 
cause of education, multiplying many times 
the power for good of those that have come 
under their influence. 

[84] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

Still others have followed the art of healing 
that they might alleviate human suffering, lift- 
ing up those that are bowed down or have 
drawn near to the gates of death. 

I must not forget to mention the teachers 
of summer schools, not the modern summer 
schools taught by erudite professors, but the 
summer schools of the olden times, taught by 
plainly dressed young women five and a half 
days in a week for a dollar and fifty cents or 
less, and boarding round. Schools of twenty 
or even more, restless children, each more in- 
tent on solving in its own way, the problem of 
perpetual motion, than anything else. 

I remember some such as these, although 
their faces have been largely effaced from my 
memory. Yet some of their acts of kindness 
and sympathy have followed me like a bene- 
diction all my life. 

Some fifty of our members have become the 
wives of clergymen, for the Gospel's sake, no 
doubt, as well as the sweet rewards of con- 
genial companionship, certainly not with the 
expectation of a life of ease or luxury. 

Another channel of usefulness of the 
church to the world has been the consecration 
of a large number of its members to the pro- 
fession well described by Israel's Seer : ''How 
beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of 
him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth 
peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that 
publisheth salvation." Since this church was 
[85] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

record of the old antediluvian patriarchs. 
We read that they were born, begat children, 
and died, and we are left to guess the rest. 
Even more brief is the record of a large num- 
ber of the members of our church. They 
united with our church by profession or letter 
on a certain date, and later died or were dis- 
missed, and the record is closed. Of their 
aspirations for all that is noble, worthy, and 
Christlike, their conflicts with evil, their temp- 
tations and their victories we have no record. 
Many of these are remembered by those now 
living as worthy examples of Christian 
lives. That there were few drones in the 
early membership of our church seems evi- 
dent, and no bees ever toiled harder to gather 
their winter stores, or build their waxen cells, 
than these people in building the church they 
loved so well, establishing Christian homes, 
and founding institutions of learning, whose 
influence for good will be felt to the end of 
time. In some way the life of the church 
seems closely connected with the College, like 
children of the same family. Some of the 
members of our church have occupied po- 
sitions of great responsibility and honor in 
both state and nation, giving exceptional 
opportunities for Christian service and useful- 
ness. Others have devoted their lives to the 
cause of education, multiplying many times 
the power for good of those that have come 
under their influence. 

[84] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

Still others have followed the art of healing 
that they might alleviate human suffering, lift- 
ing up those that are bowed down or have 
drawn near to the gates of death. 

I must not forget to mention the teachers 
of summer schools, not the modern summer 
schools taught by erudite professors, but the 
summer schools of the olden times, taught by 
plainly dressed young women five and a half 
days in a week for a dollar and fifty cents or 
less, and boarding round. Schools of twenty 
or even more, restless children, each more in- 
tent on solving in its own way, the problem of 
perpetual motion, than anything else. 

I remember some such as these, although 
their faces have been largely effaced from my 
memory. Yet som.e of their acts of kindness 
and sympathy have followed mt like a bene- 
diction all my life. 

Some fifty of our members have become the 
wives of clergymen, for the Gospel's sake, no 
doubt, as well as the sweet rewards of con- 
genial companionship, certainly not with the 
expectation of a life of ease or luxury. 

Another channel of usefulness of the 
church to the world has been the consecration 
of a large number of its members to the pro- 
fession well described by Israel's Seer : ^'How 
beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of 
him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth 
peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that 
publisheth salvation." Since this church was 
[85] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

organized not far from one hundred of its 
members have entered the Gospel ministry, 
going to all parts of our own country and the 
world on their missions of usefulness and self- 
sacrifice, to preach good tidings to the poor, 
to bind up the broken hearted, and to proclaim 
the acceptable year of the Lord, making the 
waste places to bud, and blossom, and bring 
forth all pleasant fruits, where before were 
thorns, briers, and noxious weeds. 

Englishmen boast that the sun never sets 
on the British flag. This is no time for boast- 
ing, but rather of devout thankfulness that our 
church has for many a year assisted in belting 
this beautiful earth with its beneficent work 
of lifting up the backward peoples and giving 
them Christian civilization. 

We sometimes wonder that Japan has 
sprung, sphinx-like, from an old and effete 
civilization to become one of the great nations 
of the modern world; that China like a 
mighty giant is rousing itself from the slum- 
ber of untold ages to a sense of its capacity; 
that Turkey, the sick man, that we have 
looked for a score of years to see die, and its 
bones picked by the vulture nations, is taking 
on new life and strength with constitutional 
government; that even Islam, whom we 
had thought as changeless as the leopard's 
spots, is coming to respect the Christian 
thought of the world, while the sable chil- 
dren of the dark continent are already re- 
[86] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

joicing in the gracious dawn of the Sun of 
Righteousness. Yet these are only the results 
of the leaven of the Gospel, leavening the 
human meal of those far-off lands, which our 
church, joining hands with other churches, 
has sent and sustained through its mission- 
aries in bygone years. Our fathers saw these 
results by faith, put their hands to the plow, 
broke the fallow ground, and sowed the Gos- 
pel seed, that has produced such mighty 
changes, while we, of little faith, have looked 
on and are astonished at what has taken 
place. 

We hear much these later years of arbitra- 
tion treaties, The Hague tribunal and of uni- 
versal peace, but if we go back fifty or 
seventy-five years we shall find our church 
busy sowing the good seed that is now ripen- 
ing a precious harvest. There was little in 
those days that looked hopeful other than the 
promises of the word of God, that "swords 
should be beaten into plowshares, and spears 
into pruning hooks," and that ''nations 
should learn war no more," with others of 
like import. But they clung to these prom- 
ises with a faith and a grip equaled only by 
their belief that the time of their fulfillment 
would depend on their own individual efforts. 
About 1855, Dr. Thomas A. Merrill, for 
many years pastor of this church, offered a 
premium of $500 for the best written treat- 
ise upon the subject, and later the sum of 
[87] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

$600 was given by him ''for publishing and 
perpetuating the volume in the 'Evangelical 
Family Library' of the American Tract So- 
ciety/' The title of the volume is "The Right 
Way/' Its author is Rev. Joseph A. Collier, 
and it can be found in the Middlebury College 
Library. 

I have been wondering as I have written 
this short essay what he would say who walks 
in the midst of the "golden candlesticks.'' 
Would it be, 'T know thy works how thou hast 
labored, and hast had patience, and hast not 
fainted"? Would he also add in softer accents 
and w^ith tearful eyes, "Nevertheless I have 
somewhat against thee"? However this may 
be, this seems a good time, as we stand at the 
passing of the century, to look forward as well 
as backward, and resolve that as much as in 
us lies, the century before us shall be more 
fruitful even than the century now forever 
gone. 



[SS] 



THE WORK OF THE WOMEN OF 
THE CHURCH. 

By Mrs. Clarence A. Phillips. 

In the summer of 1805 a Female Cent So- 
ciety was organized among the women of this 
church, the second of its kind in Vermont, the 
fxrst being a similar society begun in Cornwall 
the year before. 

From that time till this, the ladies of the 
Middlebury Congregational Church in organ- 
ization under one name or another, have never 
failed to make an annual contribution to the 
cause of missions. This on the authority of 
Rev. C. S. Smith, author of an Historical 
Sketch of the State Society. Rev. C. H. Mer- 
rill, Secretary of the Vermont Domestic Mis- 
sionary Society, remembers that Mr. Smith 
told him that the Middlebury Society is the 
only one that has never failed in this respect. 

The name ''Cent Society'' comes from the 
fact that membership was conditioned on giv- 
ing into the treasury at least one cent each 
week. 

The report of the Vermont Domestic Mis- 
sionary Society for 1810 credits ''Female 
Society Middlebury $17.'' 

The next earliest information available is 
[89] 



THE COXGREGATIOXAL CHURCH 

in regard to the organization of the Middle- 
bury Female Association for Foreign ^^lis- 
sions. \Yq hold the original constitution and 
continuous record from that date 1825. The 
first officers were: Mrs. Eliza Merrill, pres- 
ident; Mrs. Anna Bates,, vice-president: ]\Irs. 
Rebecca Miller, treasurer; ]\Iiss Harriet Bates, 
secretary. ]\Irs. Bates died within the year, 
and ]\Irs. Mary Swift took her place. Mrs. 
Merrill was the wife of Dr. Merrill, pastor 
of the church, and until 1833 the annual meet- 
ing was held at her home in a house that stood 
between the Beckwith and Farnsworth homes. 
\Mien ]\Ir. B. S. Beckwith bought the Merrill 
place the house was torn down and the ma- 
terial used in the construction of the two 
Kenworthy houses on Chipman hill. 

Mrs. Bates was the wife of President Bates 
of the College, and their home was in the 
house now occupied by Henry Hammond. Xo. 
15 Pleasant Street. 

The amount raised that first year was 
$85.84, paid to :Mr. Elisha Brewster. He was 
father of ^Ir. Henry Brewster. 

There was no change in officers till 1829. 
when Mrs. Sarah Y. Bell became secretan-, 
She was the mother of ]\Irs. Rufus AA'ain- 
wright. In 1834, the meetings began to be 
held at Mrs. Miller's, and for six years from 
1835 there was no president, Mrs. Swift still 
holding the office of vice-president. Mrs. 
Miller's home was in the house now occupied 
[90] 



MIDDLEBURY. VERMONT 

by the Beckwith family, No. 27 Pleasant 
Street. In that house there is a well of excel- 
lent water which, in the olden time, was en- 
closed in a well room, and many of the coun- 
try people ate their lunch there between morn- 
ing and afternoon service on Sunday. Mrs. 
Simmons was aunt to Mrs. Rufus Wain- 
wright, and Mrs. Wainwright remembers 
going there to Sunday lunch when a child. 

Mrs. Swift was the wife of Judge Swift. 
They lived where Senator Stewart now re- 
sides. No. 25 Elm Street. Mrs. Swift and 
Mrs. Sarah Bell were sisters. 

In 1841, Mrs. Abby Preston became presi- 
dent, and Mrs. Bell resigning, Mrs. Betsey 
Stewart was made secretary. She was the 
mother of Hon. John W. Stewart, grand- 
mother of John H. Mrs. Preston, known the 
country-side over as *^Aunt Abby,'' was the 
mother of Martin Preston. 

For six years from this time the meetings 
were held at Dr. Merrill's and the names 
of Mrs. Deacon Boyce and Mrs. Zechariah 
Beckwith appear on the list of officers. Miss 
Laura Simmons comes forward as secretary. 
Her home was where Mr. Frank Famsworth 
now lives, No. 31 Pleasant Street. 

In 1859, ^'l^rs. Steele, aftenvard known as 
Madam Steele, was president, and Miss Bar- 
rows one of the collectors. x\fter 1843, the 
money was paid to ''Z. Beckwith, treasurer of 
Gent's Association," whatever that was. 
[91] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

In i860, B. S. Beckwith succeeded his father 
as recipient of the funds of the women's so- 
ciety. In 1861, Mrs. Halladay, and in 1864, 
Miss Mary Steele joined the list of collectors. 
In 1866, Miss Julia Beckwith, now Mrs. Good- 
rich, became secretary and treasurer, and Mrs. 
Deacon Clark, collector. In 1869, the associa- 
tion met at Judge Slade's, and after mature 
deliberation unanimously voted themselves 
auxiliary to the Woman's Board of Missions 
in Boston. Mrs. Ladd first appears here as 
secretary and treasurer. She and her hus- 
band w^ere returned missionaries and lived in 
the house now No. 4 Weybridge Street. Mrs. 
Dr. Webber was their daughter. About this 
time Miss Martha Hough, daughter of Prof. 
Hough, gave $50 to constitute herself and 
Miss Laura Simmons life members of the 
Woman's Board of Missions, and $36 was 
raised, in addition to the regular contribu- 
tion, to support a Bible Woman. 

1870. Here the ladies begin to meet on the 
first Tuesday of each month for prayer and 
obtaining missionary intelligence, one being 
appointed at each meeting to bring for the 
next a brief account of the most interesting 
features of the missionary work at some mis- 
sion or station of the American Board. 

Now the name of Mrs. Leavitt of the Sem- 
inary appears. I quote the following from the 
annual report of Mrs. C. H. K. Ladd: 

''We feel persuaded that if the ladies, mar- 
[92] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

ried and unmarried, particularly the younger 
ones, would attend these meetings, they might 
be made exceedingly interesting and profitable : 
certainly we should all give more directly from 
the heart with a better knowledge of the mis- 
sionary work and what we hope to accomplish 
with the mites that we give for it. Especially is 
it necessary that those who collect the monies 
should attend these meetings (unless they have 
a better way of securing missionary intelli- 
gence) to enable them to present this work of 
the Lord to those from whom they solicit 
funds and to lead them to feel their privilege 
in doing something to send the Gospel to the 
millions of our dark-minded sisters in heathen 
lands." 

In 1 87 1, Mrs. Rufus Wainwright, Mrs. 
Dugald Stewart and Mrs. H. D. Kitchel are 
among the collectors. A sewing circle pre- 
pared a box, valued at $61.44 foi" Mrs. 
Wheeler of Harpoot. In 1872, Miss Jane 
Nichols, Miss Daunis' aunt, donated $25 for 
the building of the home at Constantinople. 
Two years later Mrs. Ladd writes, "We are 
some of us conscious that our little meet- 
ings for prayer have been a blessing 
to us." 

At this time the full list of contributors is 
first given, including some still here, others 
who have moved away, and many who have 
gone to their reward. 

In 1875 and 1876, Mrs. E. P. Hooker, wife 
[931 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

of Dr. Hooker, pastor of the church, is sec- 
retary, and this is a part of her report : ''Our 
most important work of the year has been the 
'speeding forth' of our well-beloved sister in 
the Lord, Miss Barrows, for several years our 
collector. She sailed from San Francisco 
about the first of March for Japan, where 
she is now busily at work in the school at 
Kobe. 

After the resignation of Madam Steele in 
1878, the office of president was vacant till 
1882, when Mrs. Cyrus Hamlin took the 
chair, the other officers being: Mrs. Abby 
Beckwith, Mrs. S. L. B. Speare, Mrs. M. L. 
Abernethy and Miss Emily Starr. 

During many of these years Miss Jennie 
Frost was a faithful collector. The record for 
1898, contains the following entry: "On 
Thursday, February 9th, Mrs. Abby Beckwith, 
who since 1883 has been a most faithful sec- 
retary and treasurer of this society, was sud- 
denly called to her reward/' At the March 
meeting a memorial written by Miss Callender, 
was read. I quote one sentence: "We who 
remain have received great inheritances from 
those who have been our examples in all 
Christian graces, and not the least among the 
names recorded in this book we inscribe that 
of Mrs. Abby Beckwith." 

In March, 1900, the society met with great 
loss and sorrow in the death of Mrs. John W. 
Stewart, whose life and work are well known 
[94] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

among us. She was our largest contributor. 
A year later, Mrs. B. F. Sutton, of blessed 
memory, passed away. 

The last meeting of the separate society oc- 
curred in September, 1905. No president or 
vice-president was elected. Mrs. B. F. Wales 
was made treasurer, and the secretary was 
Mrs. C. N. Brainerd. ''Christus Liberator" 
was selected for the year's study, superin- 
tended by Mrs. E. C. Bryant. 

Turning to the home field, we find that 
many of the records of the Ladies' Domes- 
tic Missionary Society are missing. After 
the items about the Cent Society given 
at the beginning of this paper we know noth- 
ing of the doings until 1870, except a news- 
paper cutting pasted in the oldest record book 
extant. The clipping reads as follows : "The 
old records of the Missionary Society yield 
the following suggestive item — 'At the anni- 
versary held at Middlebury in 1832, enthusi- 
asm was raised to the white heat, whether by 
the sermon preached by Dr. Silas McKeen, 
the reports of revivals or the appropriate re- 
marks, or by all combined. The collection 
taken inventoried: Cash, $153.50; pledges, 
$496.50; one silver watch, nine gold rings, 
avails of four sheep, three strings of gold 
beads, six pairs of ear-rings, one bosom 
pin." 

''The fitting comment and exhortation fol- 
lows : 'Never before had so strong an impres- 
[95] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

sion been made in favor of Domestic Mis- 
sions; and the offerings of golden ornaments, 
of money and pledges are, we hope, so asso- 
ciated with fervent prayers as to be noted as 
a memorial before God. This offering will, 
we trust, constitute a new^ era in Vermont in 
the history of Christian benevolence. The 
Lord reward the mothers and daughters who 
gave their free-will offerings to Him.' '' 

From 1870 we have the minutes of all the 
meetings until the union of the two societies. 
The same names appear that were prominent 
in the story of the sister society and others, 
such as Mrs. Prof. Parker, Mrs. L. Crosby 
Barrows, Mrs. Robbins, Mrs. Elmer, Mrs. 
Isaac Tripp, Miss Julia Bell. 

Again and again we read of the preparation 
of box or barrel for some Home Missionary 
family, the Mcintosh School or the Kurn 
Hattin Home. 

Mrs. L. A. Austin was president for a term 
of years, then Mrs. C. D. Mead took the 
chair. Many needy families in town were 
looked after and helped from time to time, 
Mrs. Mead being especially active in this di- 
rection. 

The records for many years are in the 
hand-writing of Miss Emily Starr, then for a 
long time Miss Callender was secretary. Miss 
Starr continuing in office as treasurer. 

Later came Mrs. C. N. Brainerd, then Mrs. 
Beadell, and the last record before the union 
[96] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

of the two societies is from the pen of Mrs. 
M. A. Munroe. 

In 1905, the Middlebury Female Association 
for Foreign Missions and The Ladies' Domes- 
tic Missionary Society were united under the 
title, The Ladies' Association for Home and 
Foreign Missions, and this society is in suc- 
cessful operation at the present time. 

We raise each year about $225, which is 
equally divided between Home and Foreign 
Missions, hold a meeting on the first Tuesday 
of each month with always a prepared pro- 
gram and usually light refreshments. These 
gatherings are well attended and increase in 
interest as the years pass by. 

In our contributions we sadly miss some 
who were wont to pay heavily into our coffers, 
Mrs. Gov. Stewart, Miss Starr and Mrs. Abby 
Beckwith especially. 

The work of the collectors is not so prom- 
inent as that of the other officers, but it rep- 
resents much faithful service known only to 
the Master. 

In the rank and file are many unselfish 
women who deny themselves to give, and 
among our church members too are some who 
do not yet see how happy it would make them 
if they would spend a little less for themselves 
and a litttle more for the cause of Christ. 

The Labaree Society was organized in 1896, 
its object being to raise funds to assist the 
Society of the Congregational Church in mak- 
[97] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

ing necessary repairs upon its property, and 
to give any other necessary aid. 

This society was given its name in honor of 
Mrs. Benjamin Labaree, wife of the College 
president, who, when a member of this church, 
gave much time and effort to service in the 
direction in which this society labors. 

The officers are a Board of Managers, a 
Treasurer and a Secretary. The Committees 
are: Reception and Social Committee, Com- 
mittee to Visit the Sick, Committee to Care for 
the Church. 

In 1897, the church carpets were taken up, 
cleaned, and everything overhauled and put 
in order, repairs were also made in the church 
kitchen. 

The Labaree Society pays annually $150 or 
more for the support of the music in our 
church. It has bought a piano, chairs, screens, 
dishes, church cushions, tables, table silver, 
table linen, kitchen utensils. It has engi- 
neered the suppers at the annual meetings, the 
Pilgrim Suppers, the Socials, the receptions to 
the retiring and new pastors, and done many 
another good thing. 

To the Labaree Society we owe the water 
motor of the organ, and they, with the gen- 
erous assistance of the families of Governor 
Stewart and Professor Means, gave the new 
carpets in the church. 

One member of the Labaree Society, always 
absent in body, but present in spirit, Mrs. John 
[98] 



I 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

W. Stewart, paid for the present decoration 
of the church. I quote from a memorial of 
her found in the records of the society: "As 
every vSunday a bouquet of hot-house flowers, 
the token of her fideHty, brightens the church 
her health debarred her from attending, so 
will the beauty and fragrance of her memory 
be an inspiration and a blessing to all who 
knew her." 

Among the recent doings of the Labaree So- 
ciety are the repairs upon the parsonage dur- 
ing the past two years, the cleaning of the 
church edifice, assistance in the present paint- 
ing of the same and last of all, the supper of 
which we are soon to partake. The women 
who have been and are doing all this, are 
largely the ones who have done good service 
in the missionary societies; some do more in 
one direction and some in another, but we all 
try to do something for each good cause. 

It may be well to state the amount raised 
by each society during its existence, so far as 
can be learned or carefully estimated : Foreign 
Missions, $7,084.66; Home Missions, $7,- 
164.46; Labaree Society, $4,775.42; mak- 
ing a total amount of $19,024.54 raised by 
the women of this church for benevolent 
purposes. 

I hold in my hand a copy of the Constitu- 
tion of the Maternal Association of Middle- 
bury. It has no date; there is no one living 
who was ever a member. It reads as follows : 
[99] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 
CONSTITUTION 

OF THE 

MATERNAL ASSOCIATION 
of Middlebury. 

Deeply impressed with the importance of 
bringing up our children in the nurture and 
admonition of the Lord, we, the subscribers, 
agree to associate for the purpose of devising 
and adopting such measures as may seem best 
calculated to assist us in the right performance 
of this duty. 

Article I. — This Association shall be called 
The Maternal Association of Middlebury, 

Article II. — This Association shall meet 
on the afternoon of the last Wednesday of 
every month; during the months of May, 
June, July, August and September, at three 
o'clock — in the other months at two o'clock. 

Article III. — Every meeting shall be 
opened and closed with prayer. 

Article IV. — The time allotted for our 
monthly meetings shall be spent in reading 
such books as relate to the objects of the xAs- 
sociation, in conversing on the subject, and 
in prayer for divine assistance and a blessing 
upon our exertions, especially that God would 
qualify our children for usefulness in his 
Church. 

Article V. — Once in three months, viz: 
January, April, July and October, the mem- 

[lOO] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

bers shall be allowed to bring to the place of 
meeting such of their male children as are 
between four and twelve ; and such of their 
fem.ale children as are between four and four- 
teen years of age. At these meetings the ex- 
ercises shall be of such a nature as may seem 
best calculated to interest the feelings, and 
instruct the minds of those children who 
attend. 

Article VI. — Every member of this Asso- 
ciation shall be considered as sacredly bound 
to pray for her children daily, and with them, 
as convenience wall permit; and to give them 
from time to time the best religious instruc- 
tions of which she is capable. 

Article VII. — It shall be the indispensable 
duty of every member to qualify herself by 
prayer; and as opportunity may allow by read- 
ing, for performing the arduous duties of a 
Christian Mother ; and to suggest to her sister 
members, such hints as her own experience 
may furnish, or circumstances seem to render 
necessary. 

Article VIII. — When any member is re- 
moved by death, it shall be the duty of the As- 
sociation, to pay as particular attention to her 
children in furnishing them with religious 
books, bringing them to the quarterly meet- 
ings, etc., as circumstances may render it 
proper. 

Article IX. — The officers shall consist of 
a President, Vice-President, and Secretary, 
[loi] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

Article X.— The duty of the President 
shall be to preside at all meetings, call upon 
the members for devotional exercises, and reg- 
ulate the reading. In the absence of the Pres- 
ident, these duties shall devolve on the Vice- 
President. The Secretary shall take minutes 
of the meeting, and make a record of the do- 
ings of the Association. 

Article XL — Any mother who is prepared 
to subscribe to these Articles, can become a 
member, by giving her name, and those of all 
her children, to the Secretary ; and so continue 
until she unites with some other Association, 
or withdraws her name from the register. No 
other person can have the privilege of mem- 
bership : but others may be invited by the 
members to attend. 

It is recommended to every member to 
notice by special prayer for that child, the 
birth-day of each of her children. May "He 
who giveth liberally and upbraideth not," ever 
preside in our meetings, and grant to each of 
us a teachable, affectionate and humble tem- 
per, that no root of bitterness spring up to 
prevent our improvement, or interrupt our de- 
votion. "The promise is to us and our chil- 
dren." Acts ii. 39. 

We have given up our children to God. — 
His holy name has been pronounced over 
them. — Let us see to it, that we do not cause 
this Sacred Name to be treated with con- 
tempt. May Christ put his own spirit within 
[102] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

us, so that our children may never have 
occasion to say. ''What do ye more than 
othersr 

Gov. Stewart remembers being taken by his 
mother to one of these maternal meetings when 
about lo years of age. It was held at the 
home of Prof. Fowler in the house now the 
Parsonage of this church. That was before 
the railroad was constructed and beautiful 
grounds extended to the river. Mr. Stewart 
says that the meeting was impressed upon his 
mind by the fact that for some mischief of 
his own or because he laughed at some other 
boy's prank he received from Mrs. Fowler a 
sharp reprimand. Mrs. Fowler was the 
daughter of Noah Webster. 

Gov. Stewart wishes me to add to this his 
testimony to the superior intelligence, the high 
moral worth, the consecrated Christian charac- 
ter of these ladies of the old school. 

ADDENDA— 1913. 

Since the above was written the Ladies' As- 
sociation for Home and Foreign Missions has 
given $841.38, and the Labaree Society has 
given for church debt, repairs on church and 
parsonage, new cook stove, silver, table linen, 
church music, etc., $1,343.25. 



[103] 



WORK DONE BY AND FOR THE 
YOUNG PEOPLE. 

By Susan E. Archibald. 

Some one has said, ''There is all the differ- 
ence in the world between having to say some- 
thing and having something to say." When 
the subject of this paper was assigned it 
seemed that the writer would be in the pre- 
dicament of ''having to say something'' and 
that nothing short of inspiration would reveal 
work done by and for the young people of this 
church in its earlier history; but as the eye 
becomes accustomed to an uncertain light and 
in the obscurity sees indistinct forms take def- 
inite shape, so by continued gazing into the 
dim past, where at first there seemed to be 
only vague outlines, there was at length found 
a work that abides and thus those who 
wrought have their reward. 

In 1805, when Rev. Thomas A. Merrill be- 
came pastor of this church, began the recorded 
work by the young, and while youth lasted he 
led that work, and throughout a pastorate of 
nearly forty years planned the work for the 
young. In a memoir of Dr. Merrill it is stated, 
''He sought especially to acquaint himself with 
the religious character of the professors of re- 
[104] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

ligion in college and to foster a community of 
religious interest and feeling between the of- 
ficers and pious students and his own peo- 
ple. He made them mutual helps to each 
other." 

The result of his work in this direction ap- 
pears in the fact that in the revival of 1816, 
when over a hundred were added to this 
church, the college shared, and also in the re- 
vivals of 1831 and 1834. The cordial rela- 
tions between Church and College since Dr. 
Merrill's day, have been due in no slight de- 
gree to this young man who saw the vision 
of what might be and labored to make possible 
its realization. 

As this pastor was interested in the college 
so were the president and students interested 
in Middlebury and this church. A grand- 
daughter of President Bates who lectured here 
a few years ago, said, *'My grandfather was 
just as much interested in Middlebury and the 
people, as in the College." 

In 1818, President Joshua Bates gave the 
address before the Vermont Juvenile Mission- 
ary Society, which was organized that year 
at Castleton. The interest of this church in 
that society is manifest from the fact that Dr. 
Merrill was its first president, and Joel H. 
Linsley, one of the delegates from this church, 
was its first secretary. President Bates's ad- 
dress shows that it was really a work done by 
young people, for he says, ''Be entreated, my 
[105] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

young friends, to persevere in your laudable 
exertions. And you, who are not permitted by 
the constitution to be active members of the 
Auxiliary Societies, ye fathers, in the church, 
be persuaded to encourage your sons in this 
benevolent work." This church reported in 
1819, to this society, a contribution of $8.03 
from the Female Juvenile Missionary Society 
and $70 from the Juvenile Missionary So- 
ciety, including ten dollars worth of books. In 
the only other report found, this church is 
credited with a contribution of $40 in 1822. 
This society was afterwards merged in the 
Vermont Domestic Missionary Society. 

The only other written record regarding 
mission work by young people aside from 
that done by the Sunday School, states that 
in 1871, there was a missionary society of 
young girls led by Mrs. Charlotte H. Kitchel 
Ladd. Her record reads: "We ought not to 
forget the interest that some of our little girls 
took in the missionary work. Ten of these 
banded together for a little missionary society, 
under the name of 'Green Mountain Rills/ 
meeting every Saturday afternoon in my 
parlor for sewing and listening to missionary 
intelligence. They became deeply interested, 
and most of them made very pretty and useful 
articles of needlework. . . . They had 
a modest sale, from which they realized 
$30, which they sent to the Constantinople 
Home, to educate one of the pupils for a 
[106] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

teacher." In 1872, she writes, "The Mission- 
ary circle, the 'Green Mountain Rills' has had 
a missionar}^ meeting once a month, the at- 
tendance sometimes numbering fifty or sixty. 
They have already contributed fifteen dollars 
to support a Bible woman in Turkey." 

Under the leadership of Miss Mary L. 
Speare, a missionary society for young women 
and girls was organized January 21, 1884. 
They called themselves the United Workers. 
Gifts were sent to the South and West of our 
own country, and money to China, Turkey. 
x\frica, India and Japan. They had a fair, 
which netted seventy dollars, and later had a 
second one at the home of Mrs. Eaton. With 
a large membership, including young girls. 
they met weekly and studied missions. 

There may or may not be a connection be- 
tween this work done by young people for 
missions, forty and thirty and twenty-five 
years ago, and the attendance at prayer meet- 
ing of young people, but the testimony of sev- 
eral of the older members of the church is 
that young people attended in quite large num- 
bers. At two different times within forty years 
the young girls and young women have had 
prayer meetings by themselves. One older 
member of the church, when asked what work 
the young people of her day did for the 
church, replied that there were no young 
people's organizations, but the young people 
worked with the older ones in all church work. 
[107] 



THE COXGREGATIOXAL CHURCH 

It is impossible to say just what the spiritual 
significance of this attendance at prayer meet- 
ing may have been. One man, when the ques- 
tion was asked, ''\\'hat did the church do for 
the young people when you were young?'', 
answered. "Oh, they made us go to Sunday 
School and prayer meeting.'' On the other 
hand, a woman said. "\\'hen a girl of four- 
teen I attended Dr. ^lerrill's prayer meetings 
and enjoyed his talks on Romans." 

Reverence for the house of God was incul- 
cated, sometimes in a forcible manner. Dr. 
Zaccheus Bass used to sit near the pulpit, to 
see that the young people conducted them- 
selves in a decorous manner. One day a boy 
in the northeast corner of the gallery was 
whispering and Dr. Bass went into the galler}% 
took the ofi:ender by the coat collar and 
marched him down to the jail, telling the jailer 
to keep him two hours. 

The temperance question early received at- 
tention in ]\Iiddlebury. In 1829 there was a 
temperance society and at first no children 
under fourteen were admitted, but in the sec- 
ond year of its existence younger children 
were welcomed to membership. It is not stated 
how long this society lasted. 

A ;Mr. and ]\Irs. Burchard, who had for- 
merly been on the stage, were converted, and 
for a time in 1833 and 1834 lived in ^liddle- 
bury. They held meetings for children and 
young people in the ]\Iasonic Hall. They 
[ 108 ] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

taught the children Bible verses and one of 
these children testifies that Mrs. Burchard 
asked them to learn the 13th and 14th verses 
of the 58th chapter of Isaiah and to repeat 
them every Sunday morning as long as they 
lived. He says, ''I don't believe there have 
been a hundred Sunday mornings in the more 
than seventy years since, when I have not re- 
peated those verses, and the memory of those 
meetings will abide with me while time lasts." 
After Mr. and Mrs. Burchard left, the meet- 
ings were continued by ]\Irs. Merrill, Mrs. 
Stewart, and Mrs. Slade, and for some time it 
was the custom to receive young children, not 
into full membership of the church, but as it 
was termed, ^'under the watch and care of 
the church." 

Another interesting fact is brought out in 
Dr. Merrill's semi-centennial sermon, when 
he says that the revival of 1812 was confined 
to two school-districts, and those of 1819 and 
1822 were limited to one or two districts. This 
warrants the conclusion that the work in the 
school-districts began at a very early date. 
This work has been carried on by young and 
old, usually by those residing in the district. 
Dr. Merrill and the Methodist minister often 
held meetings in the Foot district between 
1820 and 1830. They had Sunday School in 
the summer and prayer meetings in the winter. 
A college student often went with the min- 
ister, and among these students was Byron 
[109] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

Sunderland. Later Mr. F. A. Bond was also 
in the habit of going with the pastor. 

In Hunger Street district for several years 
the Sunday School averaged forty, and here 
Deacon C. A. Phillips was superintendent for 
eight years, and Mrs. E. G. Seeley for several 
years. 

In Foot Street district, the work was done 
by the united forces of Congregationalists and 
Methodists, and here Mrs. John Halladay 
worked when a young woman. In both these 
districts they have a Sunday School library, 
and in Foot Street they bought an organ for 
use in the Sunday School. Here they had also 
a flourishing Temperance Society. 

In Brooksville, the work has been carried 
on more or less regularly. During the pas- 
torate of Mr. Simms, this church interested 
itself in helping provide a library for this sec- 
tion, and again during the present pastorate. 

In Case Street district. Deacon D. Emer- 
son Boyce labored from youth to old age. The 
work in the districts has not been continuous, 
but there has never been a long time when 
members of this church have not been engaged 
in this work as they still are, though the work 
has been largely done by those members living 
in the districts. 

The work of the young people as a separate 
organization began during Mr. Speare's pas- 
torate, when a Christian Endeavor Society 
was organized. Between 1890 and 1900 it 
[no] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

ceased to be an active organization, but was 
reorganized in 1902, and still lives. A rather 
large per cent of the present membership is 
college students, and much of the interest in 
the society has been and still is due to them. 

When a movement is called modern we are 
so liable to think that it originated with us, 
but now when there is so much said about 
'* federation" we are forced to conclude that 
''the new is old," for forty years ago there was 
work done by the federated churches of 
Middlebury. Saturday, January 16, 1869, 
Col. Knapp, Prof. Henry M. Seely, Mr. F. 
A. Bond, Mr. Harry Langworthy and Mr, 
J. W. Lovett met to talk over the ad- 
visability of establishing a Y. M. C. A. 
Monday, January 18, they went to look 
at rooms for the organization, and those 
chosen were in a building where the Dyer 
block now stands. The above named gen- 
tlemen, with Mr. Heman Langworthy and 
Rev. L. G. Walker, pastor of the Methodist 
Church, took different districts for their fields 
of labor. This Y. M. C. A. held meetings 
every Tuesday evening, and continued, as the 
diary of Prof. Seely shows, until some time 
in March, 1870. The record does not state 
that this organization ceased at that time, but 
there is no record of meetings after that. 

In 1885, another Y. M. C. A. was estab- 
lished and flourished, under the wise leader- 
ship of Secretary Stratton, until 1888. It did 
[III] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

not long survive after his departure. Lack 
of funds accounts for its being given up, and 
a wise business man of Middlebury said, "We 
had better have given up any one of the Prot- 
estant Churches." 

United work has also been done by the 
churches in the Loyal Temperance Legion. 
Different members of the different churches 
have been interested in this work, and the 
organization has existed at two or three dif- 
ferent times. The Woman's Christian Tem- 
perance Union is another example of united 
work. 

This Church has always been interested in 
the subject of its music, and some facts re- 
garding this part of church work may be of 
interest. 

The writer has found no one whose mem- 
ory extends back of 1830, but one of those 
actively interested in the choir says that the 
accompaniment used to be a flute and a bass 
viol, and later two flutes, one played by Henry 
Hudson, the Shakespearean scholar, and the 
other by John W. Stewart, and two bass viols, 
one played by Ansel Sterns and the other by 
Ammon Wilcox. Among the early leaders of 
the choir were a Mr. Cousins, and two 
brothers named Swift. Among the singers of 
a somewhat early date were Jane Tomlinson 
Macy, Delia Tomlinson Wright, Elizabeth 
Tomlinson Sunderland, Horatio Wright, 
Emma Battell Stewart, Mary Warner Bott, 
[112] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

Mary Bass Sheldon, Eliza Merrill Starr, Mary 
Chapman, and Jennie Remsen Warner. 

The reed organ succeeded the bass viol and 
flutes, and was used as late as i860, when it 
was played by Edwin H. Higley. At first, 
Aldace Walker was organist, but he was 
needed as a singer, and Mr. Higley succeeded 
him as organist. In this year, i860, C. N. 
Thomas was leader of the choir, and a prom- 
inent person in the musical life of the town. 
His services as singer, teacher and conductor 
of choral music were highly valued. In 1865, 
J. H. Vorse was organist, and the present pipe 
organ had been set up, having been dedicated 
in the summer of 1864, on which occasion 
Prof. J. K. Paine of Harvard University was 
the organist. 

At that time there were many who helped 
to make the choir a success. Lizzie Cady, 
Jennie Van Vliet Higley, Sarah Bell Wain- 
wright, Mary Tilden Clarke, Jennie Turner 
Higley, Louise Potter Nash, Lilian Marion 
Kingsley, Ella Nichols Pitts, M. A. Munroe, 
N. P. Barbour, J. W. Bradshaw, C. F. Stone, 
and A. E. Higley. 

Between 1872 and 1882, Prof. E. H. Higley 
played the organ, and among his helpers in 
the choir were Mrs. F. A. Bond, Ella Earle, 
Emma L. Higley, Helen Tupper Murkland, 
Lillie Severance Warner, Lizzie Weeks Gosse, 
O. C. Barnes, George H. Remele, Charles 
Remele, and C. S. Murkland. 
[113] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

During much of this time John W. Stewart 
was a member of the choir ; sometimes playing 
the flute, or singing alto, or acting as organist 
or singing solos. This was before the date of 
paid choirs, and these musical people gave 
their services. 

While Prof. Higley was playing the organ he 
introduced Lasar's ''Hymnary" into the Sun- 
day School, and "thus for the first time was 
brought into use in the worship of this church 
music of a dignified, serious nature, rich in 
harmony, and set to decorous and poetical 
words." 

Prof. Higley speaks of Mr. M. A. Munroe 
as a veteran in the service of music in the 
church, who gave his unfailing support to the 
leader of the choir. 

George Adam Smith, in his book on the 
Prophets, says, "God in his providence seldom 
gives to one generation more than a single 
main problem to solve." The main problem of 
this church in all the generations has been its 
Sunday School. It is impossible even to men- 
tion the names of the long line of faithful 
workers in this branch of the church, but some 
interesting points may be noted. 

Dr. Merrill says, "The church in Middle- 
bury has manifested great solicitude for the 
spiritual welfare of the rising generation. Soon 
after the settlement of the present pastor the 
practice of catechising, connected with famil- 
iar religious instruction, was adopted and pur- 
[114] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

sued with much regularity. The discontin- 
uance of the practice, after the institution of 
Sunday Schools was certainly of very ques- 
tionable expediency. The angel that brought 
Sunday Schools to this country first alighted in 
Philadelphia, but soon made a visit to Prince- 
ton College. Some of the pious students there, 
who had entered into the subject with much 
zeal and hope, communicated an account of 
their plan to the Philadelphian Society of 
Middlebury College in 1815. The pastor of 
the Congregational Church was consulted. The 
members of the church appearing to seize the 
thought as one from heaven, voted to estab- 
lish Sunday Schools ! Several of the young 
men in college, among whom was Mr. Bing- 
ham, later of the Sandwich Island Mission, 
became hearty co-workers, and a numerous 
and flourishing Sunday School was imme- 
diately established." After a few years, a 
Bible Class was organized for adults. They 
were united in 1837. • 

In those early days Sunday School was held 
at nine o'clock in the morning, and it was the 
custom to send teams out to collect the chil- 
dren for this service. The first Sunday School 
in Middlebury was held in what is now the 
kitchen of No. 2^ Pleasant Street. 

After this statement by Dr. Merrill, there 
has been found no written record of the Sun- 
day School, except references in the church 
records, prior to 1871. 

[115] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

From 1858, for several years, some of the 
college students were interested to drill the 
young people in vocal music. Among these 
students were Mr. Edwards, Mr. E. H. Hig- 
ley, Mr. C. N. Thomas, and Mr. Juba Vorse. 
These young men met the young people on 
Saturday afternoon in the vestry, to train 
them. The school showed great interest in 
this music, as was evident from the large at- 
tendance. One person, in speaking of this, 
tells with feeling how well she remembers 
when Mr. E. H. Higley came to play the 
piano, at a Sunday School concert just before 
he went to the war in 1861, and, as he walked 
up the aisle in his uniform of blue, what in- 
terest was felt and with what enthusiasm they 
sang "The Star Spangled Banner'' and she 
adds, 'T never hear that song without seeing 
the slender boy in blue rise out of the 
audience, and then I hear the applause." 
Many of the songs at that concert were pa- 
triotic, and little girls like Jennie Van Vliet, 
now Mrs. Alfred Higley, sang solos. 

In October, 1871, Mr. Frank A. Bond was 
elected Superintendent of the Sunday School. 
This year the Sunday School had so large an 
enrollment, 350, that even without proof it 
seems probable that this was the largest num- 
ber ever registered in one year. There were 
24 classes. Of these six were boys, making a 
total of 66 boys, seven were girls, numbering 
75, one of 13 girls and boys, five of young 
[116] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

men, making 78, one of adult men taught by 
Prof. Parker, of 2^ members, two of adult 
women with 41 members, two of young ladies 
numbering 27. It will be seen that the total 
number of girls and boys and young women 
and young men was 259. 

It is evident that while we might have a 
larger Sunday School than we now have, if the 
adults stayed for Sunday School, we could 
not have the 259 children and young people 
unless a very large number of college students 
remained. The average attendance in that 
year was 196. In spite of this large attend- 
ance, the collections were small, ranging from 
50 cents to $1.20, except on two Sundays 
when the money was given for the mission 
ship, "Morning Star,'' and the collections were 
$5.36 and $7.37. In March of this year it is 
recorded, '*Voted not to take any more col- 
lections," and accordingly no more collections 
were taken during the year. On one Sunday 
in February, the record reads, "exceedingly 
cold, small attendance, 150, at Sunday 
School." On a Sunday in August the record 
is "very rainy, no Sunday School," and on an- 
other Sunday in August, "commencement, no 
Sunday School." 

Mrs. L. C. Barrows, who at this time, had a 
class of young women and young men, later 
had a class of young men, and she organized 
the "Endeavor Club," whose primary object 
was to promote Christian growth among its 
[117] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

members, many of whom had recently joined 
the church. She did a work whose influence 
is still felt. 

Miss Sophronia Turner interested her class 
of girls in mission work, and they sent away 
boxes of clothing and bedding. She had a 
private school in the village, and, the same 
loving care she gave to those pupils, she lav- 
ished upon all the boys and girls of the Sun- 
day School, and she is affectionately remem- 
bered as the ^'mother" of all the children in 
the Sunday School. 

For nearly thirty years, Deacon Phillips has 
taught a class of boys and young men, and the 
fruits of his labors are seen in the large num- 
ber of those so taught who have united with 
this church, and in the service some of them 
are rendering in other places, and in the re- 
spect felt for him by those former pupils. 

The next written record of the Sunday 
School extends from 1881 to 1888, and in 
1881 Mr. F. A. Bond was still superintendent, 
but during this period (1881-1888) different 
ones held the office, usually serving but a year. 
During these years the Sunday School con- 
tributed liberally to missions. During 1881, 
the collections amounted to $83.90, and they 
gave to the Woman's Board, to the American 
Board, and to the American Missionary As- 
sociation, each %22. The average attend- 
ance was 163. 

In 1888, the collections amounted to 
[118] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT^ ,^^__ 

$112.37, and the school gave to various ben- 
evolences, $92.55, which shows that the church 
must have materially helped in supporting the 
Sunday School. At different times the school 
gave to Japan, to the American Missionary 
Association, the American Board, Vermont 
Sunday School Association, Bristol Sunday 
School, Ripton for a library, Vermont Bible 
Society, Mission ship, ''Morning Star,'' to the 
Freedmen, for work among the Mormons, to 
National Divorce League, and sent several 
boxes to different missions. Thus we see 
that their interests were world-wide. 

In 1894, there was a class of boys organ- 
ized, known as "King's Sons," with the specific 
name of "The Lookout Club." This club, 
which was led by Mrs. J. H. Stewart, was com- 
posed of boys from twelve to fifteen years of 
age, and it continued for three years. They 
met once in two weeks, and sometimes the 
leader read to them and sometimes they had 
just a social gathering. 

About the same time there was an organ- 
ization of King's Daughters, the "Inasmuch 
Circle," led by Mrs. W. W. Eaton. These 
girls did a good deal of work in different 
ways. They sent boxes to New York Mis- 
sions and had sales to raise money, sent 
flowers to the sick, and contributed about 
$50 a year to missions, dividing this sum 
equally between the home and foreign so- 
cieties. Mrs. Eaton touched the lives of these 
[119] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

girls on different sides, and so helped to de- 
velop them in many desirable ways. 

These two societies, King's Sons and 
King's Daughters, were afterwards united 
and known as the Guild, studying the Bible 
and doing work with various authors. This 
Guild later became the Junior Christian En- 
deavor Society, and for a time Mr. Simms 
was its leader. This society continued up to a 
short time ago. 

There was, some time between 1901 and 
1906, a sewing school conducted by Mrs. Cor- 
nelia Merrill June. Membership in this school 
was not limited to membership in this or any 
Sunday School. 

The Church and Bible class, led so de- 
votedly by Prof. Wright, has been and still 
is an important part of the school. 

In 1904, Avhen Mr. Howes, the superin- 
tendent, left town. Judge Weeks, who was 
serving as assistant superintendent, was 
elected to succeed Mr. Howes. The mem- 
bership since 1905 has remained about the 
same, being in 1908, 142. 

In 1904-1905, the school sent $5 to the 
Kurn Hattin Home, $11 to Rev. and Mrs. 
Rowland of Japan, and $25 for pioneer 
Sunday School work in the West. In 1906, 
the school sent to Boston Seamen's Aid, $7.24, 
and $25 for work in the West. 

In 1907, the superintendent decided to raise 
money for mission work by giving each mem- 
[ 120 ] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

ber of the school a mite-box, instead of trust- 
ing to a special collection. This method is still 
in use, and $25 has been raised each year, 
even the cradle roll, which numbers ten, con- 
tributing. In 1908, the money so raised was 
sent to India. For several years Mrs. Abby 
Beckwith gave to each child in the Sunday 
School who had reached the age of seven, a 
Bible. Since her death the church has con- 
tinued this custom, presenting the Bibles 
through the superintendent of the Sunday 
School on Children's Day. 

In 1904, 67 books were added to the library, 
and the entire library was rearranged, many 
books being discarded. In 1905, 100 books 
were added, the entire expense of both addi- 
tions being more than one hundred dollars. 
In each case, this money was raised by Miss 
Harriet W. Mead, who for several years 
taught most faithfully a class of girls. 

It is the universal testimony that the su- 
perintendent and teachers of the Sunday 
School have always made an effort to give a 
good amount of pleasure during the year to 
the pupils, in the way of picnics and Christ- 
mas entertainments, and now at the mite-box 
opening. In these efforts they have been cor- 
dially seconded financially by the church. The 
pupils, in their turn, have given pleasure at 
these various gatherings, and at the concerts. 

This survey of the work done by and for 
the young people in the church shows that 
[121] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

many good lines of work have been begun, 
but in every case, except in the general work 

of the Sunday School, have been given up after 
a time. So far as can be learned, the reason 
for this has been not a lack of interest on the 
part of those for whom the work was done, 
but lack of an efficient leader; the one who 
began the work and carried it on successfully 
for a time, either being discouraged or worn 
out, or going away. While considerable has 
been done in the various lines noted, how 
m_uch more might have been wrought, if the 
work could have been continuous and not 
spasmodic ; had there always been at hand 
one whose ^'high faith failed not by the way." 

As we have walked with these shadows of 
the past and have tried to enter into their 
hopes and plans for the young people of this 
church we have not failed to see that they 
worked in faith and love, and it remains for 
us to continue the work in the patience of 
hope. 

The important question for us is not 
whether the path has broadened and been 
smoothed for the speed and ease of the trav- 
eler, but whether we are as ready to climb as 
they were when the road winds uphill, whether 
we are as stout of heart amidst discourage- 
ments, whether we have as clear vision to see 
where duty leads, and seeing, whether we have 
the willing spirit to follow. 

[122] 



MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT 

ADDENDA, 
(i) In 1909, the Sunday School under- 
took to pay $50 a year for the support of 
Miss May Halloway at Fiske University; 
for five years that amount has been sent, and 
she will graduate in 1914. 

(2) The Sunday School class led by the 
historian since April, 1906, began in 1908 
the study of current events, meeting every 
Thursday afternoon, and once a month the 
time was given to reports of missionary work. 
After three years the current topics class was 
discontinued, because, as many of the class 
had entered college, it was not possible to find 
a time convenient for the class and leader. 

Since April, 1906, this class and their leader 
have contributed to the Sunday School, its 
benevolences, the benevolences of the church, 
and to the needy in town, the sum of $349.21 
in money, and $42.50 in clothing sent to Dr. 
Grenfell, making a total of $391.71. The 
largest amount given in any one year was in 
1909, when they gave $80.37 in money and 
$20 in clothing. 

(3) In January, 191 2, Rev. A. A. Lan- 
caster organized the Boy Scouts, in which the 
younger boys are much interested. In June, 
1913, Mrs. Lancaster organized the Camp 
Fire Girls, and the girls are equally interested 
in their camps, of which there are three. Both 
organizations are flourishing at the present 

[123] 



THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 

time and are doing helpful work. Member- 
ship in these organizations is not limited to 
members of our own Sunday School. 

(4) Within three years two young women 
have gone from the Sunday School to work 
in mission fields : Miss Isabelle Darrow to the 
Anatolia Girls' School, Marsovan, Turkey, 
and Miss Edith Darrow to Utah. 



END 



[124] 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process, 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: April 2006 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 
111 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township. PA 160&S 
(724)779-2111 



